Washington (CNN) The Pentagon, in conjunction with the State Department, has increased the presence of Marine Corps security forces at a number of US embassies in the Middle East and Africa in light of increased tensions and unrest following the US decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, according to several military officials.

CNN first reported the deployment of Marines on Friday.

The Marine Corps publicly acknowledged the deployment in a statement saying it had "been requested to augment a number of embassies in light of current events."

The Defense Department is not disclosing the number of Marines being deployed or their locations although it's been known for weeks that security has been increased at US diplomatic installations in Israel including the new embassy in Jerusalem.

"DOD takes necessary steps to mitigate threats to U.S. personnel, embassies and consulates around the world. At the request of the Department of State, and in coordination with host nations, the Department of Defense has deployed additional Marine Security Guards to several U.S. embassies for the purpose of temporarily augmenting security," Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich told CNN.

Read More