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U.S. updates military plans against Iran
Why is it in news?
- In a recent meeting with President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented an updated military plan that envisions sending as many as 1,20,000 troops to West Asia.
More in news
- The revisions were ordered by hard-liners led by John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump’s National Security Adviser.
- It does not call for a land invasion of Iran, which would require vastly more troops.
- sharp divisions in the administration: There are sharp divisions in the administration over how to respond to Iran at a time when tensions are rising about Iran’s nuclear policy and its intentions in the region.
- Arguments against deployment:(1) Some scholars and strategists are urging a diplomatic resolution to the current tensions.(2) Deploying such a robust air, land and naval force would give Tehran more targets to strike, and potentially more reason to do so, risking entangling the U.S. in a drawn out conflict.(3) It also would reverse years of retrenching by the U.S. military in West Asia that began with President Barack Obama’s withdrawal of troops from Iraq in 2011.
Source
The Hindu