Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi retook control on Wednesday of the eastern town of Brega and bombed the nearby town of Ajdabiyah.
Brega, 250 kilometers south of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, is a major oil terminal.
Two fighter jets bombed the east of Ajdabiyah, 500 miles from Tripoli, as Gaddafi's forces are advancing on the town.
Two U.S. warships - the amphibious assault ships the USS Kearsarge, which can carry 2,000 Marines, and the USS Ponce - are passing through the Suez Canal en route to the Mediterranean.
Another destroyer (the USS Barry) moved through the Suez Canal on February 28.
The White House said the ships are being deployed in preparation for possible humanitarian efforts but stressed it "was not taking any options off the table".
"We are looking at a lot of options and contingencies. No decisions have been made on any other actions," US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
CAIRO, March 2 (RIA Novosti)
