WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional troops into the Middle East in the coming days, as Washington and Tehran are trying to resume talks and reach a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, according to local media on Wednesday.

The Trump administration is considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations if a fragile ceasefire does not hold, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.

The forces moving into the region include about 6,000 troops aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its accompanying warships. They departed Naval Station Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia in late March for the Middle East, according to a U.S. Navy press release at the time.

About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month, according to the Wednesday report.

As for now, about 50,000 U.S. troops have been involved in the U.S. military campaign against Iran which started on Feb. 28.

U.S. President Donald Trump told FOX Business in an interview aired on Wednesday that the war with Iran is "very close to being over."  ■