The Pentagon has denied that 14,000 extra US forces are to be deployed to the Gulf to counter Iran, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Alyssa Farah, spokesperson of the Pentagon, denied the veracity of the report, which stated that President Donal Trump could take a decision to boost US military presence in December. The reporting comes amid rising tensions in the region. On 4 December, a US Navy warship seized advance missile parts believed to be linked to Iran. The material was found on a stateless vessel and an investigation is ongoing but the evidence points to Iranian origin and were shipped to the Houthis in Yemen most probably, according to the Pentagon. Also, in mid-November, the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in a show of force to reassure its Arabs allies. Previously in October, Mark Esper, the Pentagon chief, announced that two fighter squadrons and missile defence batteries were sent to Saudi Arabia. Pentagon officials warn against the possibility that Iran carry out aggressive actions in the future, according to intelligence information.