The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, reports Defense
Secretary Hegseth has quietly extended U.S. force deployments in the Middle
East, pushing the posture through 2027. Officials describe the change as part of
an open-ended military strategy designed to preserve more options for Trump. The
regional footprint now includes 19 warships, air‑defense units, fighter
squadrons and paratroopers, sources said, increasing strain on personnel and
families and creating a maintenance backlog that could take years to clear. An
Army air‑defense unit charged with intercepting Iranian missiles and drones has
had its standard deployment cycle extended from nine to 12 months, and several
units rerouted from Europe and the Pacific have been deployed for more than a
year.
