President Donald Trump is expanding U.S. military forces in the Middle East, giving his administration broader options to intensify operations against Iran as the conflict enters its fifth month and Tehran continues threatening commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter, reported that special operations forces, additional fighter squadrons, long-range bombers, aerial refueling aircraft, and more than 150 medical personnel had been surged to the region or placed on heightened alert.

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The buildup follows the deaths of four U.S. service members in recent Iranian attacks and comes as the Trump administration considers additional military action.

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday it carried out a 12th consecutive day of strikes inside Iran aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial shipping in the region.

The Pentagon declined to discuss specific troop movements, citing operational security, while the White House said Trump "always has all options at his disposal."

Trump warned Iran the United States would destroy "one bridge or power plant" every time the Islamic Republic attacks a vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that any strike on Iranian infrastructure would trigger a "powerful and decisive response."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also warned Iran against attempting to control one of the world's most important waterways.

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"If we create a precedent ... where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll, and if you don't pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent," Rubio said during a summit in the Philippines.

The Journal reported the military buildup could also bolster U.S. operations against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who recently threatened to blockade Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.

On Wednesday, two Saudi oil tankers reportedly were struck by projectiles near the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint, underscoring the growing threat to global energy supplies.

Congress also moved this week to strengthen military funding.

The Republican-controlled House approved a $95 billion budget framework that includes roughly $73 billion for military and intelligence programs, while also passing its version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth testified the conflict has cost approximately $37.5 billion so far.

Despite those costs, Trump and administration officials have argued that sustained military pressure is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage that normally carries about one-fifth of the world's traded oil.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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