U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagberg (right) and President Trump [Reuters Yonhap News]

As U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a week of intensified offensives against Iran, U.S. media reported on the 13th (local time) that the U.S. will dispatch an amphibious assault ship and its associated Marine Expeditionary Unit, which were stationed in Japan, to the Middle East.

While it is not specified what mission the Donald Trump administration, facing pressure from rising oil prices due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, has in mind for this troop reinforcement, the war is expected to reach a turning point on the verge of a prolonged conflict.

According to U.S. media, including the daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the amphibious assault ship Tripoli and its affiliated Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed in Japan, are heading to the Middle East.

It is reported that the U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East region, requested the reinforcement to broaden its options for military operations against Iran.

The daily New York Times (NYT) reported that up to three warships carrying approximately 2,500 Marines are moving from the Indo-Pacific region to the Middle East to join the 50,000 U.S. troops already stationed there.

The U.S. non-profit organization U.S. Naval Institute (USNI) News reported that the Tripoli and elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit are involved.

According to USNI News, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and the Tripoli's homeport is Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit recently participated in the annual 'Iron Fist' exercise with the U.S. Marine Corps in Japan.

Given the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the surge in international oil prices, and the significant burden on the Donald Trump administration, the mission of the reinforced troops is of interest.

President Trump has stated that the U.S. Navy will escort commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bentsen said in an interview with Britain's Sky News the previous day that U.S. losses due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amount to $11 billion and that escort operations could begin soon.

Associated Press (AP) reported that while Marine Expeditionary Units are trained to conduct amphibious operations, they can also be used for enhanced embassy security, civilian evacuation, and disaster relief missions. Therefore, although this deployment is a significant troop reinforcement, it is difficult to conclude that it signals an imminent or actual ground invasion.

AP added that the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit was recently in the Pacific theater and is more than a week away from Iranian waters.

Axios, a U.S. online media outlet, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that before escort operations begin, the U.S. military is tentatively planning an operation to eliminate ground-based anti-ship missiles deployed by Iran around the Strait of Hormuz.

Axios also reported that while the Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of conducting ground operations if ordered, the official declined to comment on that possibility.

Meanwhile, in a Fox News Radio interview broadcast on the 13th, President Trump stated that he would "hit Iran very hard" in the coming week.

Amidst soaring international oil prices due to Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for international energy transport, President Trump has recently reiterated his stance of ending the war early while emphasizing that he will not ease the offensive against Iran.

Therefore, the upcoming week or so, during which President Trump has announced stepped-up offensives and the U.S. military is reinforcing its troops, could be a critical period determining the course of the current conflict, including the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and whether it will be prolonged.

With the war with Iran continuing for over two weeks, concerns are emerging that the diversion of U.S. forces from the Indo-Pacific region, following the redeployment of some weapons, including anti-air artillery, from the U.S. Forces Korea to the Middle East, could impact the U.S. defense posture in the Indo-Pacific if the war is prolonged.