The United States is reportedly expanding its armada in the Middle East, sending warships and thousands of Marines toward the Strait of Hormuz as attacks on commercial vessels disrupt traffic through the critical shipping lane that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved a request to deploy an Amphibious Ready Group and an attached Marine Expeditionary Unit consisting of several warships and thousands of Marines and sailors, The Wall Street Journal reported.  An Amphibious Ready Group typically includes an assault ship, two transport docks, and a support vessel carrying an embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit of about 2,200 Marines, along with additional aircraft, according to The War Zone. At a press briefing on Friday, Hegseth acknowledged the challenges posed by Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and stated confidently that “we don’t need to worry about the strait.” “Iran is exercising sheer desperation in the Strait of Hormuz,” Hegseth said. “It’s something we are dealing with and have been dealing with, and we don’t need to worry about the strait.” According to the report, the Japan-based USS Tripoli and its embarked Marines are heading toward U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East and the waters surrounding the Persian Gulf. Photos released March 12 by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command show sailors aboard the USS Tripoli conducting live-fire exercises ahead of the deployment. The Navy said the training was intended to “sharpen warfighting proficiency and ensure U.S. naval forces remain ready to operate across the Indo-Pacific.” Sailors aboard the USS Tripoli (LHA 7) conduct a live-fire exercise, March 12, 2026. Routine live-fire training sharpens warfighting proficiency and ensures U.S. naval forces remain ready to operate across the Indo-Pacific.