David Pakman

But let's slow it down and kind of separate what is happening and what is possible and what is being implied.

Now, the real parts are the following.

Number one, the United States has more than 50000 troops in the Middle East right now.

That's higher than the normal baseline.

It's not.

We always have 50000 troops in the Middle East.

We normally don't.

That is a higher number than the typical baseline.

Marines have been deployed.

Naval forces are in place.

Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne are in the region.

And there are discussions about next steps.

And that might be more aggressive operations to put those troops to use.

It might be trying to get oil routes reopened or putting troops in strategic locations.

All of that would be a further escalation.

We were told this would take three to four weeks.

It's been four weeks.

Now they're talking about a different timeline and it looks as though much more is going to happen.

So that's number one major troop presence in the Middle East right now.

Second piece, there is a regulation.