White House reviews military plans that would include massive troop deployment to Middle East

Amid escalating tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump's top national security advisers reviewed military plans last week that would send more 120,000 U.S. troops to the Middle East "should Iran attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons," The New York Times reported Monday.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented the plan last Thursday, which was requested by national security adviser John Bolton, The Times reported.

The plan was presented during a meeting among top national security officials — including CIA chief Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford — that focused on the administration's Iran policy.

Officials who spoke to The Times anonymously said the plans did not include projections for a land invasion of Iran, which would require vastly more ground forces.

Although it's not clear if Trump has personally reviewed the plans, senior American officials told The Times the fact that the military plans were drawn up underscores how serious of a threat Iran has become to U.S. interests in the region.