US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the deployment of a Marine expeditionary unit and an amphibious-ready group to the region.
A MEU typically includes about 2,000 Marines transported aboard three amphibious warships that can launch helicopters and watercraft, Politico reported.
The announcement comes days after the Pentagon deployed F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner.
“US Central Command is committed to defending freedom of navigation within our area of responsibility which includes some of the most important waterways in the world,” Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the head of Central Command, said in a statement.
"These additional forces provide unique capabilities, which alongside our partners nations in the region, further safeguard the free flow of international commerce and uphold the rules based international order," he claimed.
Iran says it views US military vessels lurking in the waters of the Persian Gulf as a threat to its security and a source of tensions and instability in the region.
On Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani warned the United States to refrain from any “provocative” moves in the region, especially close to the country’s borders.
SKH/PR
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