The U.S. is sending an additional "few thousand" troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon said Monday. The increased presence will come from the personnel needed to support multiple fighter jet squadrons, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters during a press briefing.

The U.S. is sending an “additional few thousand” troops to the Middle East amid roiling tensions over Israel’s deadly strikes on Lebanon that killed top Hezbollah leaders last week, according to Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh.

As war between Israel and Hezbollah threatens to erupt, the Pentagon said additional U.S. forces "are there for the protection" of other American troops.

With Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, the Pentagon is bracing for retaliatory action from Tehran’s network of militias and militant groups.

The additional forces, which one official placed at between 2,000 and 3,000, will bolster security for the 40,000 U.S. troops already in the region and help defend Israel, officials said.