More than 3,500 U.S. sailors and Marines arrived in the Middle East on Friday aboard the USS Tripoli, according to U.S. Central Command. The deployment includes personnel from the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The USS Tripoli also delivered transport and strike fighter aircraft to the region as part of the military buildup. Central Command confirmed the arrival of forces in its area of responsibility on Saturday.

The troop deployment comes as military operations against Iran continue under what has been designated Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28. U.S. Central Command reported Saturday that more than 11,000 targets have been struck since the operation's launch.

The arrival of additional forces represents a significant expansion of U.S. military presence in the Middle East region. The deployment includes both naval personnel and Marines capable of conducting various military operations.

Central Command has not specified the exact locations where the newly arrived forces will be positioned within its area of operations, which covers much of the Middle East and Central Asia.