President Donald Trump has ordered a third US aircraft carrier to the Middle East, marking the largest US naval surge in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to US Central Command. The move comes as Trump reiterated that the conflict will soon come to an end.
Speaking to a Kansas City radio station on Friday, Trump said: "It's going to get wrapped up soon. We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon."
Naval deployment details
US officials have said that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are due to arrive in the Middle East by late November. The strike group will operate alongside the USS George H.W. Bush, deployed in April, and the USS George Washington, which arrived in August to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The deployment represents the largest concentration of US naval power in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, US Central Command confirmed.
Political moves and briefings
Trump's comments come as he rescheduled several rallies this weekend, and Vice President JD Vance also cancelled a Friday press briefing in Minnesota. Officials have not provided a reason for the cancellation.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Admiral Brad Cooper visited the White House on Thursday, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to brief the president on potential strike scenarios. The meeting reportedly discussed plans to maintain the ongoing regional blockade.
Conflict outlook
It is suggested that a fresh wave of aggressive military strikes will target Iran if leaders refuse to sign an agreement, according to reports. Since the outbreak of war in February, Trump has continuously claimed that the conflict will come to a close, even as global economic damage continues to grow. He has reiterated this during campaign appearances for the US midterms.
