The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East as fighting connected to the ongoing Iran conflict intensifies.
A U.S. official confirmed that a 2,500 member Marine expeditionary unit is being dispatched to the region. The deployment comes as President Donald Trump signaled that the United States would decide when to bring the conflict to an end.
Speaking about the war, Trump stated it would conclude “when I feel it in my bones.”
Shortly afterward, the president announced that U.S. forces carried out an attack on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. The island is considered a critical hub for Iran’s oil exports and processes much of the country’s petroleum shipments.
Military leaders say the Marine unit being deployed is the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is normally stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Reports indicate the deployment includes the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli.
The move comes during a difficult week for U.S. forces. U.S. Central Command confirmed that six American service members died when a refueling aircraft crashed over western Iraq Thursday night. The incident pushed the total number of U.S. military deaths connected to the conflict to 13.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also revealed new details about the war’s early strikes. He told reporters that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “wounded and likely disfigured” during air strikes carried out on the opening day of the conflict.
Meanwhile, the economic impact is already being felt in the United States, where the national average gas price climbed to $3.644 per gallon, with some areas in the West nearing $5.
Human rights groups report that more than 1,200 civilians in Iran have been killed during U.S. and Israeli air attacks. In neighboring Lebanon, expanding strikes tied to Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah have left more than 600 dead and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes as explosions shook central Beirut.