The number of U.S. troops deployed in the Middle East has climbed past 50,000 — roughly 10,000 above the usual level — according to a report by The New York Times.

Under normal circumstances, about 40,000 American service members are stationed across the region, including in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, both on military bases and naval vessels. That baseline shifted upward after Donald Trump launched an operation targeting Iran, pushing the total beyond the 50,000 mark.

The increase is tied in part to the redeployment of roughly 2,500 Marines and a similar number of Navy personnel. These forces could be used either in a potential operation to establish control over Khark Island or in other joint missions alongside U.S. ground troops.

Military analysts caution that even this expanded presence falls far short of what would be required for a large-scale ground campaign. Iran’s territory spans an area comparable to nearly one-third of the continental United States, and its population is about 93 million. Experts assess that attempting to seize and hold a country of that size and complexity with the current troop levels would be virtually impossible.