The Pentagon is set to present the White House with a request to deploy 10,000 troops to the Middle East, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.
The move is reportedly to counter threats posed by Iran.
{mosads}Officials told the AP that it isn’t clear if the White House will approve sending all or just some of the requested forces.
A spokesperson for the Department of Defense (DOD) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
The reported proposal comes amid a spike in U.S.-Iranian tensions.
The Trump administration earlier this month deployed bombers and an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf in response to unspecified threats from Iran.
Earlier this year, the U.S. named Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Iran responded by designating all U.S. forces in the Middle East as terrorists.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, briefed lawmakers on intelligence detailing recent actions by Iran, as President Trump and Republicans warn of a growing threat from Tehran.
The next day, Senate Democrats introduced a bill to require congressional approval before the U.S. can take military action against Iran.
The measure was defeated in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
This is a developing story and will be updated.