Amid the brewing tensions in West Asia, the Pentagon has directed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for a possible deployment in the region.
Amid the brewing tensions in
West Asia, the
Pentagon has directed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for a possible deployment in the region. The order came 20 minutes after US President Donald Trump held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Wall Street Journal, the instructions from the Pentagon also came as the US weighs military options against Iran.
The American newspaper, citing three US officials, said that the move is coming at a time when Trump is considering tougher action if ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran fail. One of the officials explained to WSJ that a deployment order could be issued within hours. However, no final decision has been taken in this regard.
On Tuesday, Trump confirmed that he was thinking about sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East as part of preparations for potential military action. “If negotiations with Iran do not succeed, we will have to do something very tough,” he told reporters.
Nothing formal
The WSJ report noted that while the Pentagon is making preparations, Trump has not yet formally authorised the deployment, and plans could still change. If the order is approved, the new carrier would join the
USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already operating in West Asian waters.
An official close to the matter told the American newspaper that the Pentagon is preparing a carrier to be deployment-ready within two weeks, likely from the
US East Coast. The USS George H.W. Bush, currently completing training exercises off the coast of Virginia, could be tapped for the mission and may accelerate its schedule.
In the midst of this, Trump held a closed-door meeting with Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. According to The Associated Press, the American leader told the Israeli premier that he had insisted on continuing negotiations with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.
“There was nothing definitive reached, other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue,” Trump later wrote on his Truth Social platform. He added that a diplomatic deal remained his preference, but warned of consequences if talks collapsed.
Last week, US and Iranian officials held indirect discussions in Oman, raising cautions and expressing hopes of reviving negotiations. However, Trump has also made it clear that any agreement must ensure “no nuclear weapons, no missiles.”
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