U.S. Senator Van Hollen criticized his country’s decision to send additional troops to the Middle East. In a statement on X, Van Hollen opposed increasing the U.S. military presence in the region.
Van Hollen accused U.S. President Donald Trump of concealing the number of U.S. troops killed in the war with Iran. Calling Trump’s war against Iran “illegal,” the senator said Congress should cut off funding for the war.

Van Hollen said, “If Trump says he plans to restart the war next month, believe him.”
U.S. military plans for the Middle East
The United States plans to send an additional 9,000 to 10,000 troops to the Middle East. As part of the deployment, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt left its home port in San Diego on September 27.

The USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of three amphibious ships carrying Marines, also set out on September 28. The group is expected to reach the region by the end of November.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt was sent to the Middle East after October 7, 2023, and later returned to the United States for rotation. The United States currently has two aircraft carriers, the USS George H. W. Bush and the USS George Washington, as well as approximately 50,000 troops in the region.