U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen said President Donald Trump’s administration was preparing to expand its military presence in the Middle East. Accusing the administration of hiding military casualties, Van Hollen described the war in Iran as an "illegal war of choice."
Van Hollen said Trump was preparing to send up to 10,000 additional troops to the war in Iran and said the president had indicated that he planned to renew the war next month. The senator called on Congress to cut off funding for the war.

Potential for new deployments to the Middle East
After Van Hollen’s remarks, the Pentagon was considering sending a third carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the Middle East. The preparations came as Trump was considering resuming attacks on Iran after the midterm elections in early November.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the deployment could result in an estimated 9,000 to 10,000 additional U.S. troops being sent to the region. According to officials cited by the newspaper, warships, fighter jets, Marines and sailors were expected to reach the region by the end of November.