The United States is deploying 2,500 Marines and three warships to the Middle East amid an ongoing conflict with Iran, according to reports.
The Marines will join over 50,000 US troops already stationed in the region, as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate.
The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel targeted Tehran and other military sites, prompting Iran to strike Tel Aviv and US bases in the Gulf region.
The fresh deployment comes after six American soldiers were killed in a refueling aircraft crash in Iraq, which Iran has claimed responsibility for.
The USS Tripoli and its attached Marines are among the warships being deployed to the region, with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit expected to take over a week to arrive.
The move marks a significant escalation of US military presence in the region, with US President Donald Trump warning of using military force to clear the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
