The U.S. Department of Defense has directed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for deployment to the Middle East as military planners position forces amid rising tensions with Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported late Wednesday, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was considering sending another carrier to the region to prepare for possible military action if nuclear negotiations with Iran fail.
“I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,” Trump wrote in a social-media post following a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said that if a deal cannot be reached the outcome is uncertain.
Officials caution that Trump has not yet formally ordered a deployment. One official cited by the Journal said such an order could come “in a matter of hours,” and that plans may still change.
Carrier likely from East Coast
The Pentagon is readying the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group to depart, with training off the U.S. East Coast potentially accelerated to support a deployment within about two weeks, according to the news report.
The carrier would join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, which has already been repositioned to the Middle East as part of a broader military presence that includes warships, air defenses and fighter units.
Diplomacy and pressure
Trump’s comments came after his meeting with Netanyahu, where he expressed a preference for reaching a negotiated settlement with Iran while underscoring that military preparation continues.
The possible deployment of a second carrier would mark a rare dual carrier presence in the Middle East and signals heightened U.S. readiness should diplomatic efforts falter. Military planners and U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed specific operational decisions.
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