WASHINGTON, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military is doubling its deployment of A-10 attack planes to the Middle East to support advancing ground troops in the war against Iran, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

In this May 13, 2004 file photo, A-10's from the 111th Fighter Wing are seen in the foreground as a U.S. Navy C-130 takes off from N.A.S. J.R.B. Willow Grove in Willow Grove Pa. (Photo: AP)

The U.S. Air Force is dispatching another 18 A-10 "Warthog" planes to join roughly a dozen already operating in the region, said the report, citing two Pentagon officials.

The slow-moving A-10 "Warthog" planes, which fly at low altitudes and slow speeds to loiter over targets on land and at sea, are reportedly to be used to help U.S. ground forces seize territory near the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway that Iran has effectively closed, or Kharg Island, Iran's oil export hub, said the report.

The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he expected the war with Iran to end in two to three weeks.