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Sailors work on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington as it sails in the Arabian Sea to support military operations against Iran on August 20 (local time). / Reuters-Yonhap

The U.S. Department of Defense is set to deploy a third aircraft carrier strike group, Marine Corps amphibious vessels, and additional forces to the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 1st (local time), citing U.S. officials.

As U.S. President Donald Trump considers resuming military strikes against Iran after the November midterm elections, up to 10,000 additional troops are expected to be deployed to the region.

According to officials, the aircraft carrier, fighter jets, Marines, and Navy personnel are scheduled to arrive in the Middle East by the end of next month. President Trump recently told close aides that he anticipates resuming bombing runs against Iran sometime next month.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt departed its home port in San Diego, California, on the 27th of last month to carry out its scheduled deployment mission.

The USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), consisting of three amphibious assault ships carrying Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, also set sail on the 28th of last month.

The U.S. military has already stationed two aircraft carriers in the Middle East: the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington. If the George Washington remains in the region even after the Theodore Roosevelt arrives, three carrier strike groups will be operating in the theater.

This would mark the first such posture since April of this year, prior to the U.S. and Iran agreeing to a truce temporarily halting hostilities that broke out on February 28.

There is also a possibility that the George Washington will depart the Middle East to return to its home port in Japan. In that scenario, the number of carrier strike groups deployed in the Middle East would return to two.

In addition, vessels belonging to the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are deployed in the Middle East. An official noted that troops aboard the warships that set sail this week will be added to the more than 50,000 U.S. forces already stationed across the region.

The military buildup comes just days after President Trump rejected a recent seven-day ceasefire proposal from Iran. In an interview with Time magazine published on the 1st, President Trump stated that strikes could resume after the midterm elections if an agreement with Iran is not reached.

The Iranian proposal turned down by President Trump included provisions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume negotiations over its nuclear development program in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iranian ports.

In recent months, the U.S. military has deployed approximately 20 naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to reinforce the blockade and support the escort of commercial ships transiting the waterway.

                                                                                                             Kim Hyun-min