US Defense Secretary Mark Esper. (Photo:  egyptindependent)

The statement came a day after Senator Josh Hawley asked Esper to announce the Pentagon’s plan to increase US forces in the Middle East.

The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday quoted an anonymous source as saying that the Trump administration is considering adding 14,000 troops to the Middle East to counter Iran, which means the number of US troops there could double. The source said President Trump will make a decision about the new deployment this month.