On September 24th, according to the Associated Press, the Pentagon said that the United States will send more troops to the Middle East amid a sharp escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. This increases the risk of a larger regional war. The Pentagon press secretary did not say how many additional troops would be sent or what their mission would be. The United States currently has about 40,000 troops in the region. This follows a large-scale attack by Israeli forces on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, killing hundreds. Israel is preparing for further operations, and the US State Department has warned Americans to leave Lebanon because of the increased risk of regional war.