Washington DC - The US is sending more Marines and ships to the Middle East two weeks into the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, US media reported on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying the Japan-based USS Tripoli and its attached Marines are en route to the region, while The New York Times reported that some 2,500 Marines aboard as many as three ships were headed for the Middle East.

CNN said it was a Marine Expeditionary Unit – which typically includes some 2,500 Marines and sailors – that was being deployed.

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The Journal said the request for the additional Marines was made by US Central Command, which is responsible for US troops in the Middle East, and approved by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.

There are already Marines in the region supporting operations against Iran, the newspaper added.

The US and Israel launched a massive air campaign against Iran on February 28, and Tehran has responded with waves of drones and missiles as well as attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which is used for a fifth of global crude trade.