Trump reportedly mulls increasing troops in the Middle East, while assessing ground operation options

March 19 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is weighing deploying thousands of U.S. troops to boost its military presence in the Middle East, per a U.S. official and three sources familiar with the matter — a move that could give President Trump more options as he considers expanding operations. Sources said ensuring security in the Strait of Hormuz may require U.S. ground forces along Iran’s coast. The administration has also discussed deploying ground troops to Iran’s Harir Air Base and securing Iran’s high-enriched uranium reserves. A White House spokesperson emphasized: “No decision to deploy ground forces has been made at this time. The President is focused on achieving all objectives of the ‘Maximum Pressure’ campaign.” Reinforcement talks are not limited to the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and its embarked 2,000-Marine Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), set to arrive in the Middle East next week, sources added. However, one source noted the U.S. will lack that capacity because the USS Gerald R. Ford was sent to Greece for repairs after a fire.