WASHINGTON, October 19. /TASS/. The US has reached out to Iran informally, through countries such as Qatar, to suggest that Washington is serious about using force in the Middle East if necessary, Bloomberg reported, citing an unidentified American official.

The US administration has sent warships to the eastern Mediterranean and said the point of the move is to warn Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iranian proxies against getting involved in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"We know that Iran watches our force levels and is deterred by additional posture in the theater," said retired General Frank McKenzie, who led American forces in the Mideast until 2022.

It was earlier reported that USS Mount Whitney and USS Carney were dispatched to the Mediterranean to support US operations amid the Middle East conflict. The US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is already in the region with more than 4,500 sailors on board, accompanied by five ships carrying more than 1,600 military service members. The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower has also been sent to the Middle East, with 5,000 military personnel onboard, along with three accompanying ships carrying around 1,000 US military personnel.

Earlier, The Washington Post and Fox News reported that the US military was sending more than 4,000 troops to the Middle East. According to information from US defense officials, the troops include members of the US Navy and Marine Corps, including special operations units, the news media said. They are stationed onboard the amphibious assault ships Bataan, Carter Hall and Mesa Verde. The first two ships were in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, while the third was in the Mediterranean Sea. It has not been reported yet where these forces will ultimately be deployed.