Iranian threats led to White House’s deployment announcement, U.S. officials sayi

Tension between the United States and Iran rose Monday as Tehran indicated it may curtail its full cooperation with a landmark nuclear agreement and the Trump administration spoke of “planned or contemplated attacks” against U.S. forces and friends in the Middle East.

Those threats, administration and defense officials said, led to the announcement by the White House late Sunday that a U.S. aircraft carrier and Air Force bombers were being deployed to the Persian Gulf region.

The escalation was only one element of a tougher foreign policy posture — at least in some areas — by the administration in recent days. Senior officials gave new emphasis to President Trump’s willingness to use force in Venezuela, and Trump on Monday doubled down on his threat to impose vast new trade penalties against China.

Read the full article and more in The Washington Post.