U.S. Marines and Army paratroopers deployed to the region amid the Iran conflict are preparing to protect themselves against chemical or nuclear incidents, The National reported Friday.

Marines will practice chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear warfare drills, former Marine Jonathan Hackett told The National.

"The CBRN unit can also be scaled up in size, but the conventional Marine forces will have their CBRN gear and be drilling on it, with 15 seconds to get mask and MOPP [ on when someone shouts 'Gas, gas, gas,' " Hackett said, referencing the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear gear and mission-oriented protective posture gear.

The risk of the conflict with Iran causing a chemical or nuclear incident could increase if it escalates further or if Iran faces defeat, The National reported.

Chemical weapons specialist Lennie Phillips told The National that Iran had the ability to develop mustard gas or other weapons.

"Iran has a very well-established chemical and pharmaceutical industry, so if they decide to change to something else it is fairly straightforward to do," Phillips said. "So, when it comes to the chemical weapons side, I think this is the area of concern."

Iran is believed to have removed chemical weapons from Syria before the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime.

"They may well still be on bases somewhere, but it's stronger than hearsay that some of these chemical weapons actually moved eastwards and are now either in Iraq or Iran," Phillips told The National.

The National reported that the Trump administration needs to make clear Iran would face severe consequences to deter a chemical or similar attack.

"There needs to be a Trump red line, which means something, which would be the most effective way of stopping these weapons being used," chemical warfare specialist Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told The National.

"My concern is that if the Iranians run out of road, what do they do then, because this is in their psyche from the Iran-Iraq War," Bretton-Gordon said.

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