Pentagon ramps up Middle East surge

• Pentagon officials say the U.S. is "surging support to Israel," which includes providing the country with air defense and munitions.

Zoom in: An armada of American ships and dozens of aircraft are quickly amassing around Israel, including...

• Two aircraft carrier groups — the USS Gerald Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower — with roughly 7,500 personnel each.
• Two amphibious Navy ships, which are equipped with thousands of Marines.
• F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter jets to supplement aircraft already in the area.

Another ship, the USS Carney, intercepted three missiles over the Red Sea that were "potentially" aimed at targets in Israel, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday.

• U.S. special operations forces to assist Israel with planning and intelligence support.
• 2,000 troops were ordered to prepare to deploy to the Middle East. They're unlikely to serve in combat roles.

Between the lines: The White House has previously discussed the possibility of using military force if Lebanon-based Hezbollah opens a new front in the war, Axios' Barak Ravid first reported.

• Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, have traded fire almost daily since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Go deeper: Behind Israel's high-risk push to eliminate Hamas