WASHINGTON

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of additional military assets to the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran, the chief Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group will be joined by the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group to "continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region," Sean Parnell said in a statement.

Additionally, Parnell said the Nimitz Strike Group has begun its deployment to the Western Pacific to preserve the US's warfighting advantage in the Indo-Pacific.

Hegseth also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that "will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities," Parnell said, without specifying which aircraft were being deployed.

"Secretary Hegseth continues to make clear that should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people," he added.

US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday with unprecedented bombing if Tehran did not agree to engage with Washington in negotiations over its nuclear program.

Iran later responded by stating that Tehran would have "no choice" but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked by the US or its allies.

The deployments also came as the US launched a series of strikes against the Houthi group in Yemen.