The United States is deploying an additional 9,000 to 10,000 military personnel to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, officials confirmed. The deployment includes a third aircraft carrier strike group, additional Marine Corps ships, and support personnel, expected to arrive in the region by the end of November.

The move expands the U.S. naval and military presence in the area to more than 50,000 personnel, with current naval assets including the aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, as well as ships from the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. The newly deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on a scheduled mission, accompanied by the USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, which carries Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. If all three carriers remain, this would mark the first time since April that the U.S. has operated three carrier strike groups simultaneously in the region. However, officials indicate the USS George Washington may return to its home port in Japan, potentially reducing the number back to two.

These developments coincide with heightened rhetoric from President Donald Trump, who has indicated that additional strikes against Iran could resume after the U.S. midterm elections later this month. Trump recently rejected an Iranian proposal for a short-term ceasefire that would have opened the Strait of Hormuz—a vital oil shipping passage—and renewed talks on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

Since the collapse of a fragile ceasefire earlier this year, clashes have continued sporadically between U.S. and Iranian forces. Iran has launched ballistic missile attacks on U.S. warships in recent weeks, contributing to the rising tensions. The U.S. Navy has maintained around 20 ships in the region to enforce the blockade and protect commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In addition to the naval deployments, the Pentagon has extended stays for other forces critical to potential combat operations, including air-defense units and the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, capable of a range of tasks from missile defense to securing key locations. Defense officials have noted that the extended and increased operations place additional strain on the U.S. Navy, which has faced near-record deployment tempos and resource shortages throughout the ongoing conflict.

Spokespersons for the White House and the Pentagon did not comment on the deployment when approached for statements. Meanwhile, senior Navy officials stated that the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s crew is preparing for a longer-than-usual deployment as part of the evolving mission in the region.