WASHINGTON, April 15. /TASS/. The Pentagon will deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East in the next few days, US officials told The Washington Post (WP).

According to them, about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush have been sent into the region. About 4,200 Marines are expected to arrive near the end of the month as the United States attempts to pressure Iran into signing a deal that could stop the conflict, the newspaper explained.

According to the WP, the Pentagon has said that approximately 50,000 personnel are involved in operations in the Middle East. Military experts interviewed by the newspaper argue that the deployment of an additional force will provide US Central Command (CENTCOM) with "more options" should negotiations fail. The two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States expires on April 22.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. The Islamic Republic decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to ships associated with the US, Israel and the countries that backed the aggression against Iran. On April 7, Washington announced a "double sided" ceasefire with Iran. According to the Emergency Medical Services of Iran, a total of 3,375 people were killed in US-Israeli strikes in the 40 days of the war.

Iran and the United States held several rounds of talks in Islamabad on April 11. Both Tehran and Washington said following the negotiations that no agreement on finding a long-term solution to the conflict had been reached due to a range of disagreements. The Associated Press reported that the next round of talks might take place on April 16.