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More than 3,000 U.S. sailors and Marines arrived in the Red Sea Monday as Iran ramps up aggression in the region.

This follows calls from the Department of Defense for more troops after “recent attempts by Iran to seize commercial ships.” The Pentagon says the troops will help the U.S. 5th fleet, which operates in the Middle East.

Over the past two years, Iran has tried to seize nearly 20 ships in the area, sometimes opening fire in the process. Last month, the Pentagon sent a U.S. destroyer and a number of warplanes to the Red Seas to deter Iranian aggression. That same month, U.S. forces blocked Iran from taking two international oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

An American official told the AP the situation has gotten so bad that the U.S. is considering placing troops on commercial ships in the strait of Hormuz. But the U.S. hasn’t given authorization for the plan to go ahead. at least not yet.