 "California National Guard troops stand guard as people attend a rally against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, US on June 9, 2025. Reuters")
US President Donald Trump has sent more troops to Los Angeles to manage protests than the number of American forces in Iraq and Syria combined.
According to US Army Major General Scott Sherman, over 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines have been deployed in the city — a total of around 4,700 troops.
In contrast, the Pentagon says there are about 2,000 US troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq.
When asked if anything could ease tensions in the region, Trump said, “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simple.”
He has often warned of striking Iran if talks over its nuclear programme fail. In an interview earlier on Wednesday, he said he was becoming less confident that Iran would agree to stop enriching uranium — a key US demand.
Meanwhile, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that if Iran is attacked, it will strike back at US bases in the region.
The US embassy in Kuwait, however, said in a statement that it has not changed its staffing and remains fully operational.