The United States is moving 9,000 troops to the Middle East, according to The Independent, after President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran "very hard."
The deployment comes as Washington weighs military action against Iran, the Financial Times reports. Al Jazeera reports that 2,000 Marines are among the forces being sent to the region.
Separately, The Guardian reports that the US is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid what it describes as a stalemate in the war with Iran. CNBC reports that Brent crude oil jumped more than 4 percent following reports of that third carrier deployment.
Al Jazeera also reports that a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.
The reporting, published Friday, does not specify the timing of the troop movements or the carriers' arrival, and no details were available on the extent of damage or casualties from the tanker incident.
What to watch next: whether the additional forces and carriers lead to direct strikes on Iran, and how oil markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz respond in the coming days.
