The Pentagon is deploying an additional Patriot air defense system to Israel, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

Axar.az informs, citing TASS, that according to the sources, the US military has decided to send the system from Texas to bolster Israel’s missile defenses.

The newspaper also reported that an additional aircraft carrier strike group would arrive in the region next month, joining approximately 20 US warships already deployed in the Middle East. According to the WSJ, these moves are intended to give US President Donald Trump a range of options should military operations against Iran resume.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, on the night of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing Tehran of violating the terms of the agreements concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 25% of global oil trade and around 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade pass through the strait. The US administration subsequently effectively signaled an end to the use of large-scale military force against Iran and a shift toward attempting to economically strangle the country through sanctions.