U.S. Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis speaks at a press conference at the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at Government House in Sydney, Australia, June 5, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Reed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday he now had authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan and would deliver a revised strategy for the conflict there to the White House in the coming weeks.

In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Mattis said President Donald Trump had given him the authority to set troop levels in Afghanistan at noon on Tuesday. Reuters reported the move on Tuesday.