Speaking to Pentagon reporters, the official said the US will send F-16 fighter jets to the Gulf this weekend to reinforce A-10 attack aircraft that have been patrolling there for more than a week.

The move comes after the US said Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers near the strait last week, opening fire on one of them.

The F-16s will provide air cover for ships moving through the waterway and increase military presence in the region, the unnamed defense official said.

Additionally, the defense official said the U.S. is considering a number of military options to deal with the rising tensions in the region. The official said the recent increased cooperation and coordination between Russia, Iran and Syria is aimed at pressuring the U.S. to leave the region.

In March, a Russian fighter jet dumped jet fuel on a US surveillance drone and then hit its propeller, forcing the US military to down the MQ-9 Reaper in the Black Sea. The incident raised tensions between the two countries but did not result in a direct military response.

The most recent incident was on Friday morning, when a Russian aircraft flew repeatedly over the at-Tanf garrison in eastern Syria, where US forces are training Syrian allies and limiting the activities of IS militants.

Mai Van (according to AP)