The Pentagon has deployed several hundred special forces to the Middle East, The New York Times reported, citing two US military officials.

According to them, these forces will join the US Marines and paratroopers, who have also been deployed to the region, to provide US President Donald Trump with additional capabilities for conducting a military campaign against Iran.

Officials said that these special forces, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, have not yet been given specific tasks.

The newspaper's sources believe that these special forces could be deployed to protect the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, or as part of an operation to occupy Kharg island, Iran's oil hub in the northern Persian Gulf. Moreover, they could be used to carry out an operation to seize highly enriched uranium from Iran’s Isfahan nuclear facility.

The New York Times notes that these special forces will join the 2,500 US Marines who arrived in the region last Friday by landing craft.

The exact missions assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are also still unclear, but US officials say Trump is considering ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The New York Times notes that last week the Pentagon deployed about 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East.

The US military official said the location of the army paratroopers was not disclosed. However, they would be within reach of Iran. The paratroopers could also be deployed to seize Kharg island, where US warplanes recently carried out airstrikes, hitting more than 90 Iranian military facilities. Furthermore, these US paratroopers can be used in other ground operations, along with marines and special forces.