The U.S. Navy has positioned five guided missile destroyers capable of defending against ballistic missiles in the Mediterranean Sea as Iran ramps up retaliations against Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military facilities.

Two guided-missile destroyers based in Rota, Spain — the USS Paul Ignatius and USS Oscar Austin – entered the Mediterranean, joining three other destroyers in the region, U.S. Naval Institute News reported Friday, citing an unnamed defense official. Ship spotters observed the Paul Ignatius leaving Rota on Tuesday.

They joined the USS Arleigh Burke, USS Thomas Hudner, and USS The Sullivans, which had been operating in the eastern Mediterranean as of Monday, USNI News reported. In addition, the U.S. has two guided-missile destroyers in the Red Sea — the USS Forrest Sherman and USS Truxtun.

The Pentagon has deployed multiple assets to the region, including fighter jets and refueling tankers, as a defensive measure as President Donald Trump contemplates whether the U.S military will get directly involved in helping Israel wipe out Iran’s aspirations for a nuclear weapon. The U.S. has approximately 40,000 troops in the Middle East.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is expected to deploy to the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday, joining the USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz carrier strike groups in the region, according to USNI News.

The five destroyers can detect and intercept ballistic missiles with standard missile 3s, used for the first time in combat last year to take down Iranian ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles fired against Israel following an Israeli strike on the Iranian Embassy in Syria. The strike resulted in the deaths of Iranian Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016, Zahedi’s deputy, Gen. Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, and five other officers.

The SM-3 missiles use sheer force instead of an explosive warhead to destroy targets, according to defense contractor Raytheon. Its "kill vehicle" hits threats with the force of a 10-ton truck traveling 600 mph, a technique referred to as "hit-to-kill." It has been likened to intercepting a bullet with another bullet.

The repositioning of the destroyers came as Iranian forces continue to fire ballistic missiles at Israeli targets in retaliation for ongoing strikes on Iranian targets, which began June 13 as part of Operation Rising Lion. On Friday, Iran struck targets in Haifa and Beersheba, and its ballistic missiles have also hit targets in Tel Aviv, Azor, and other locations in central Israel, according to USNI News.

Israeli press reported that within the last week, an unspecified U.S. destroyer intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran, as well as an Israeli-based U.S. Army terminal high altitude area defense battery. Reuters reported June 13 that the U.S. helped shoot down Iranian missiles that were headed toward Israel, but that was done by ground-based systems. Fighter jets and warships had not yet been used.