Rescue workers search for survivors in the rubble after a strike in southern Tehran, Iran, Friday, March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sajjad Safari)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The American military has ordered 2,500 Marines and an amphibious assault ship to the Middle East, a U.S. official said Friday, in a major addition of forces in the region after nearly two weeks of war with Iran.

Hours later, President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had “obliterated” military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island — the primary terminal that handles Iran’s oil exports — and warned that the island’s oil infrastructure there could be next. A day earlier, the speaker of the Iranian parliament warned that such a strike would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile in the Iranian capital, a large explosion rocked a central square where thousands were gathered for an annual state-organized rally to support the Palestinians and call for Israel’s demise. Israel had warned that it would target the area in central Tehran.

There were no reports of casualties. But the decision to proceed with the mass demonstration attended by some senior government officials, and Israel’s threat to target the area, underscored the fierce determination on both sides in a war that has rattled the global economy and shows no sign of letting up.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the war would end “when I feel it in my bones.” He was also more measured about the prospect of opponents toppling the Islamic government.

“So I really think that’s a big hurdle to climb for people that don’t have weapons,” Trump said, citing Iran’s paramilitary Basij force, which has played a central role in crushing recent nationwide protests.

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and disaster relief. The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.

The new Marine deployment was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.