Russia has accused the Trump administration of a "provocation" for its decision to send about 1,000 more U.S. troops to the Middle East amid soaring tension with Iran. Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced the troop surge on Monday -- the latest in a tit-for-tat escalation with Iran following attacks on two tankers near the Persian Gulf, which the U.S. has blamed on the Islamic Republic. U.S. military officials have told CBS News senior national security correspondent David Martin that the additional troops are being deployed to provide greater defense against possible Iranian missile attacks and additional surveillance in the sensitive region.
"The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region," Shanahan said on Monday. "The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. The action today is being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests."
Iran and its backers in Moscow, however, have consistently accused the Trump administration of fanning the flames in the region, starting with the president's decision to unilaterally pull the U.S. out of the international nuclear agreement with Iran and ratcheting up incrementally since then with mounting economic sanctions and blacklisting of Iran's state institutions.
Mounting blame, mounting pressure
The White House has pointed to Iran's support for militia groups from Syria to Yemen as evidence of its regional malign influence, and in recent months to the attacks on merchant vessels around the vital shipping channel of the Strait of Hormuz, as cause for bolstering the American military presence in the region.
Iran denies any role in the tanker attacks, and has voiced frustration at the mounting allegations from Washington that its elite Revolutionary Guard Corp was behind them. On Monday, the Iranian regime said it was going to increasing its production of uranium beyond the constraints of the crumbling nuclear deal it struck with global powers, including the U.S., in 2015.
The Pentagon reacted by releasing high-resolution photos which purportedly show Revolutionary Guard members attempting to destroy evidence of the attack on a Japanese oil tanker last week.
Shortly after the Pentagon released the new photos, Shanahan announced the troop surge. The Trump administration insists it is not seeking war with Iran, but does not hide the fact that plans for military action have been drawn up.
In the meantime the White House continues to try and convince allies Iran was behind the tanker attacks, to mount international support on the Iranians.
"We should not yield to nuclear extortion from the Iranian regime," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said on Monday, reacting to Iran's threat to ramp up uranium
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