(FILES) US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin gives a press conference during the NATO Council Defence Ministers Session at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 12, 2023. The Pentagon on October 21, moved to step up its military readiness in the Middle East, ordering activation of air defense systems "throughout" the region and alerting additional US forces that they may be deployed soon. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the moves were in response to "recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East." Austin did not say how many additional US troops would be deployed to the region. (Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP)
