India, March 29 -- The US has stepped up its military presence in the Middle East as the Iran war completes one month on Friday, with 3,500 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli arriving in the region, the US Central Command said.

The deployment adds to around 50,000 American troops already stationed there and comes amid growing speculation over whether Washington could consider sending ground troops in Iran. Track US-Iran war live updates

The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East on March 27, CENTCOM confirmed in a post on X, noting that "US Sailors and Marines aboard USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility."

The Tripoli further carries a mix of transport and strike ai...