The United States said Monday it has approved the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, against the backdrop of soaring tensions with Iran.

Military vehicles with the US-backed coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group are pictured during an operation to expel the jihadists, in the countryside of the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor on February 21, 2019. [Photo: AFP]

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in a statement the troops were being sent "for defensive purposes to address air, naval, and ground-based threats in the Middle East."

"The United States does not seek conflict with Iran," the statement said, adding that the deployment aimed "to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests."