Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a fighter jet squadron, Navy ships and air defenses to the Middle East amid heightened regional tensions due to Israeli attacks in Iran and Lebanon.

“The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran’s partners and proxies,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement Friday. “To that end, Secretary Austin has ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the........

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