U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that additional defensive resources are being sent to the Middle East in response to increasing instability caused by the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Although Hegseth did not provide details about the specific assets involved, earlier reports indicated the deployment includes a large number of military refueling aircraft and the movement of an aircraft carrier to the region.

“Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” Hegseth said in a post on social media platform X.