The United States will bolster its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional warships and fighter jets to the region to "mitigate the possibility of regional escalation," the Pentagon said Friday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "has ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies," deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.