{"id":21885,"date":"2019-05-14T12:12:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T12:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:51:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:51:13","slug":"military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/","title":{"rendered":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon recently presented a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/05\/13\/b-52-bombers-f-15-fighters-fly-first-deterrence-sorties-pointed-at-iran\/\" target=_blank> military plan<\/a> to the president\u2019s top national security aides that calls for up to 120,000 troops deploying to the Middle East and a potential crippling cyber-attack on Iran\u2019s infrastructure should Iran speed up its nuclear program or attack U.S. forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Details of the briefing were first reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/05\/13\/world\/middleeast\/us-military-plans-iran.html?action=click&#038;module=Top%20Stories&#038;pgtype=Homepage\" target=_blank>New York Times<\/a>, which cited more than half a dozen American national security officials, granted anonymity, who have been briefed on the updated plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But today, President Donald Trump brushed aside the Times reporting in comments to the press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think it\u2019s fake news. OK? Now would I do that? Absolutely. But we have not planned for that. Hopefully, we\u2019re not gonna have to plan for that, and if we did that, we\u2019d send a hell of a lot more troops than that,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The updated plan comes as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week gave the remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal 60 days to come up with a plan to buffer his country from sanctions imposed by Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/u-s-pulling-some-antiaircraft-and-missile-batteries-out-of-mideast-1537954204\" target=\"_blank\">when he pulled out of the deal last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Friday, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/05\/10\/us\/politics\/us-iran-patriot-missile-battery.html?module=inline\" target=_blank>the Pentagon announced it would deploy<\/a> a Patriot missile battery to the Middle East to defend against Iranian threats. Officials also announced an amphibious ship would be sent to the region, adding better launch capabilities for Marines. The move comes after four Patriot batteries were removed from the region last fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/05\/13\/armed-conflict-between-us-and-iran-could-be-sparked-by-accident-british-warn\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"196\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Pompeo.Hunt_.jpeg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Armed conflict between US and Iran could be sparked by accident, British warn<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">As tensions between the U.S. and Iran mount, British warn about accidental sparking of armed conflict<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New Persian Gulf deployments will also include bombers and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those shifts in resources came after a new intelligence report on May 3, Shanahan told Congress last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian military leaders are calling U.S. assets in the region a target, according to Reuters, citing a report in the Iranian Students\u2019 News Agency (INSA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAn aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now it is a target and the threats have switched to opportunities,\u201d said Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards\u2019 aerospace division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf (the Americans) make a move, we will hit them in the head,\u201d he added, according to ISNA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, over the weekend, four oil tankers off of the coast of the United Arab Emirates were damaged in potential sabotage or attacks. The incident remains under investigation. The Iranian government has called it a, \u201cregretful incident.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a bad problem for Iran if something happens,\u201d Trump told reporters Monday in response to questions about the tankers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new intelligence report looks at Iran preparing its proxy forces. But officials told the Times that the most likely scenario that ends up in conflict would be after act or attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The IRGC has a history of sending small, fast moving boats at U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf, attempting to provoke a military response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s unclear if Trump himself has received the military plan briefing, based on the Times report. But a recent statement does not remove a military response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe president has been clear, the United States does not seek military conflict with Iran, and he is open to talks with Iranian leadership,\u201d Garrett Marquis, a National Security Council spokesman, wrote in an email to the Times on Monday. \u201cHowever, Iran\u2019s default option for 40 years has been violence, and we are ready to defend U.S. personnel and interests in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, European allies have reportedly been talking with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in efforts to deescalate any tensions and avoid any inadvertent overstepping on either side that could lead to conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident, with an escalation that is unintended really on either side,\u201d said Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary told reporters in Brussels, Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The updated military plans do not call for an Iraq War-style land invasion but instead focus on air strikes and a potential cyber-attack, which in previous plans had been called \u201cNitro Zeus\u201d and would have attempted to disable major Iranian cities, military facilities and the power grid. That plan dates to at least 2010 or earlier, experts have said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cyber attack plan was previously considered as a way to hit Iran in the first hours of a conflict, reducing the need for much of the conventional attacks such as bombings and missile strikes, according to the Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, experts have noted that Iran\u2019s cyber capabilities have increased, pointing to attacks on financial markets in 2012, military targets and a Las Vegas casino. Experts testified to Congress this year that Iranian hackers are advanced enough now to hit U.S. targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Times reports that Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan presented the plan last Thursday in a meeting on \u201cbroader Iran policy.\u201d The meeting included National Security Adviser John R. Bolton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph E. Dunford Jr., C.I.A. Director Gina Haspel and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, according to the Times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>-Military Times Deputy Editor Leo Shane III contributed to this report<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Video I shot of Iranian Houdong patrol boat 500 yards off the USS New Orleans with <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CENTCOM<\/a> commander Joe Votel aboard <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TB_Times?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TB_Times<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/42S2JI3Ehf\">pic.twitter.com\/42S2JI3Ehf<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Howard Altman (@haltman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haltman\/status\/847096339108429824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 29, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CENTCOM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CENTCOM<\/a> commander Joe Votel gets brief on @IRGC Navy Houdong on USS New Orleans <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TB_Times?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@TB_Times<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kkFY7piR3X\">pic.twitter.com\/kkFY7piR3X<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Howard Altman (@haltman) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/haltman\/status\/770692775570444290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 30, 2016<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":46280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":70,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,8,23,92,12,25,68,70],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3366],"class_list":["post-21885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-army"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"2SUA2NP5LJGUBJT7GCLS5IQKRI","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-military\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019 - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Todd South\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Todd South\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 883,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Left Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Pentagon &amp; Congress\",\n\t                \"Your Army\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019 - Army Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/14\\\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Army\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/news\\\/your-army\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-army\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Army Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019 - Army Times","description":"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019","og_description":"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/","og_site_name":"Army Times","article_published_time":"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00","author":"Todd South","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Todd South","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019","datePublished":"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/"},"wordCount":883,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Flashpoints","Home","Left Column","News","Newsletters","Pentagon &amp; Congress","Your Army"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/","name":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019 - Army Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg","datePublished":"2019-05-14T12:12:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T05:51:13+00:00","description":"Experts look to potential flare up from an accident or attack. Plans also call for response to Iran ramping up nuclear program.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/05\/14\/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Army","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/","ad_zone":"your-army"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Military plans to counter Iran include possible 120,000 troop deployment, cyber attack \u2018Nitro Zeus\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","name":"Army Times","description":"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization","name":"Army Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","caption":"Army Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Army Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP-Iran.jpeg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21885"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96062,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21885\/revisions\/96062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21885"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=21885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}