ISTANBUL

The US announced Sunday it has increased its military presence in the Middle East, enhancing air support and troop readiness as tensions in the region escalate.

"We will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days," said Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder in a statement.

The Pentagon has also raised the readiness of additional forces for rapid deployment if needed.

"The United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict," Ryder added, emphasizing that any attack on US personnel or interests by Iran or its proxies would be met with "every necessary measure."

The announcement comes alongside the deployment of additional fighter jets, including F-22s, F-15Es, F-16s, and A-10s, as part of the US effort to bolster its air defense.

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched its most intense offensive against Lebanon in nearly a year, following renewed clashes with Hezbollah.

The ongoing attacks have claimed at least 916 lives, including women and children, and injured 2,709 others, according to data from Lebanese authorities.

Fears of a broader regional war have intensified following Israel’s assassination of several Hezbollah leaders, most notably the group’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an airstrike on Friday during which Israel reportedly dropped 85 tons of bombs on a target in Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood, a Hezbollah stronghold.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.