The Trump administration has decided to deploy a third aircraft carrier and a second US Marine division to the Middle East as Washington-Tehran tensions escalated, according to a US official.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt and an additional Marine division are currently heading to the Middle East for an extended deployment. The Roosevelt left San Francisco on Sunday, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Jerusalem Post.

The following day, the USS Makin Island amphibious ready group departed San Diego carrying the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The force includes around 2,200 Marines and other personnel in the expeditionary unit, as well as approximately 2,000 sailors aboard the group’s three ships.

According to the latest deployment picture, two aircraft carriers are already operating in the Arabian Sea: the USS George Washington, which arrived in the region in mid-August, and the USS George H.W. Bush. Both are operating as part of carrier strike groups that include fighter aircraft and escort vessels, supporting US operations in the region.

Notably, US Naval Institute News reported that the Roosevelt was moving to US Central Command's area of operations in order to relieve the Washington.