A US Marine rapid response force is headed to the waters off the coast of Israel, CNN reported on Monday, citing a defense official familiar with the planning.
The force, consisting of 2,000 Marines and sailors, will join a growing number of US warships and forces converging on Israel as the US seeks to send a message of deterrence to Iran and prevent the war in Gaza from spilling over into a regional conflict.
CNN reported earlier that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered that roughly 2,000 troops prepare for a potential deployment to Israel to help with tasks like medical and logistical support, according to multiple defense officials.
The order does not mean that the troops definitely will deploy, or that any will serve in a combat role if they do go to Israel, officials said. Austin’s decision, however, has shortened the time the identified troops will have to prepare for a deployment if they are ordered to go, according to officials.
The move comes as the US military is bolstering its presence in the Middle East. On Saturday, the Pentagon ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran or Hezbollah from joining the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The USS Eisenhower joins the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group that arrived there last week and is in international waters off of Israel.
The official who spoke to CNN on Monday would not specify where the Marine unit would go, but it could remain in the Red Sea off Israel's southern coast, which would put US forces near the country’s two coastlines.
The Marine unit specializes in tasks such as amphibious operations, crisis response, humanitarian assistance and certain special operations. The unit is on board the USS Bataan, an amphibious assault ship that is currently in the Gulf of Oman, officials said.