Washington: The United States is significantly reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East, with the Pentagon deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to the region. The deployment adds to the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, which are already stationed there, and comes amid heightened tensions with Iran and after President Donald Trump warned of fresh strikes against the country following the conclusion of US elections on November 3.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier and flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9, left its home port in San Diego on Sunday without ceremony, accompanied by its strike group of warships. A separate amphibious group, the Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Unit, carrying more than 2,000 Marines, departed the following day. According to US officials, the overall deployment will add between 9,000 and 10,000 American troops to the region, including sailors and Marines attached to the carrier group and accompanying vessels. The US already has more than 50,000 military personnel stationed in the Middle East.
The Roosevelt strike group is expected to arrive in the region by the end of November and is slated to relieve the USS George Washington, which has been deployed since August after replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln. Should the George Washington remain on station until the Roosevelt arrives, all three carrier strike groups would be present in the Middle East simultaneously, marking the largest US military buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The move comes as President Trump weighs further military action against Iran, with the deployment seen as a signal of Washington’s readiness to escalate if required. The extended deployments have also placed considerable strain on naval personnel: the previous carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, spent more than 250 days at sea supporting operations linked to the conflict with Iran, a stretch that reportedly contributed to low morale and supply difficulties among its roughly 5,000-member crew.