More US Marines and warships are expected to be deployed to the Middle East, two officials confirmed to CBS News, the BBC's US partner.
The officials said the reinforcements were to come from an amphibious ready group and its Marine expeditionary unit, with one official adding that the group would be led by the Japan-based USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship.
The unit headed by the USS Tripoli typically consists of around 5,000 sailors and Marines distributed across several warships.
The development comes as President Donald Trump said US forces had "totally obliterated" Iranian military infrastructure on Kharg Island in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipping.
Retaliatory Iranian strikes targeting Israel and US military bases across the Middle East have disrupted major hubs for international air travel and caused the price of oil to soar.
