The United States is preparing to send additional Marines and naval forces to the Middle East as tensions in the region continue to escalate, according to officials cited by US media.
The reinforcements are expected to come from an amphibious ready group and its Marine expeditionary unit. One official said the deployment would be led by the USS Tripoli, which is based in Japan. The group typically includes about 5,000 sailors and Marines operating across several warships.
The planned deployment follows recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who said American forces had destroyed Iranian military infrastructure on Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil shipments.
Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and US bases across the Middle East have disrupted international aviation hubs and contributed to a sharp rise in oil prices.
Trump also indicated that the United States Navy could soon begin escorting oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The request for additional forces was reportedly made by United States Central Command and approved by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that parts of a US missile defence system currently stationed in South Korea may also be relocated to the Middle East as part of efforts to strengthen regional defence capabilities.
The conflict intensified after US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, which killed the country’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since warned that Tehran will continue efforts to block shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and vowed retaliation for those killed during the conflict.
