The Pentagon is expected to send ​thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war, Reuters reported. 

Reuters first reported on March 18 that Trump's administration was considering deploying thousands of additional U.S. troops, a move that would expand options to include deployment of forces ​inside Iranian territory. Such an escalation could dramatically raise the stakes in the conflict, which is already in its fourth week ​and has roiled global markets.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the ⁠Middle East the troops would go or when they would arrive in the region. The soldiers are stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to Reuters.