WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has kept an increased military presence in the Middle East throughout much of the past year, with about 40,000 forces, at least a dozen warships and four Air Force fighter jet squadrons spread across the region both to protect allies and to serve as a deterrent against attacks, several U.S. officials said.

Tensions are mounting in the Middle East after a series of deadly attacks across Lebanon left at least 37 people dead and nearly 3,000 injured. The attacks, which occurred over the past two days, involved thousands of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies.

WASHINGTON: The U.S. has kept an increased military presence in the Middle East throughout much of the past year, with about 40,000 forces, at least a dozen warships and four Air Force fighter jet squadrons spread across the region both to protect allies and to serve as a deterrent against attacks,

The US has maintained a heightened military presence in the Middle East, with around 50,000 troops, more than 10 warships, and four Air Force fighter squadrons currently deployed in the region, reports the AP.