Thousands of Marines are heading to the Middle East as the United States weighs whether to deepen its role in Iran as part of a military buildup leading to more questions about possible ground troops or missions tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

About 2,500 Marines are deploying with additional warships as the conflict enters a more dangerous phase, according to reporters Friday from Reuters and the Associated Press, citing U.S. officials. Military.com reached out for comment to the Defense Department, U.S. Central Command and the White House.

The move comes as the war shifts beyond airstrikes into a broader fight over shipping lanes, oil infrastructure and regional deterrence. President Donald Trump tried to tamp down expectations of a ground deployment earlier this week, saying, “I’m not putting troops anywhere,” before adding, “We will do whatever is necessary.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, saying Monday that the U.S. would hold off on threatened strikes against Iranian power plants for five days.

In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump also held out the possibility of a resolution to the war — though Iranian officials denied there were negotiations. Trump's turnaround appeared to offer something of a reprieve after rhetoric reached a fever pitch when the U.S. and Iran traded threats with potentially catastrophic repercussions for civilians across the region.

Shortly after Trump's announcement — hours before the deadline was set to expire — Iranian state television declared that the American leader had backed down “following Iran’s firm warning.”

The war, now in its fourth week, has already seen several dramatic turning points — the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, the bombing of a key Iranian gas field, and strikes targeting oil and gas facilities and other civilian infrastructure in Gulf Arab nations. The conflict has killed more than 2,000 people, shaken the global economy, sent oil prices surging, and endangered some of the world’s busiest air corridors.

The latest threatened attacks could have cut electricity to wide swaths of people in Iran and around the Gulf and knocked out desalination plants that provide many desert nations with drinking water. There are also increasing concerns about the consequences of any strikes on nuclear facilities.