Washington: The US military is accelerating the deployment of around 8,000 service members to the Middle East to reinforce operations against Iran, Newsmax reported, citing four anonymous officials.

According to Anadolu Agency, the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deploying ahead of schedule from the West Coast, with sailors and Marines cutting short their leave period to speed up their arrival. The Boxer group, which includes the USS Boxer, the USS Portland, and the USS Comstock, carries approximately 2,500 Marines. Together with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the total number of personnel aboard the three vessels will reach around 4,000 service members.

Once the Boxer group joins the USS Tripoli group, already en route to the region, the six amphibious ships will collectively add roughly 8,000 service members. The Pentagon referred Anadolu's request for comment to US Central Command (CENTCOM), which did not immediately respond.

The report emerged amid escalating regional tensions following a joint US-Israel offensive on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the death of around 1,300 people, including the then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran has launched drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, leading to casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruptions in global markets and aviation.