As Shanahan heads to Asia, Iran tensions threaten Pentagon’s ‘great power’ focus

The United States on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defenses against Iran as it accused the country's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month’s tanker attacks.

The Pentagon as seen from Air Force One. (AP Photo)

As acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan heads to Asia on Tuesday to deliver a major policy speech on the region, increasing tensions with Iran threatens to upend the Pentagon’s strategy to focus on “great power competition” and countering Russia and China, officials and experts say.