The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, a U.S. official told Al Jazeera on Oct. 2. The move adds to a significant concentration of U.S. military assets in the region amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group departed from its base in San Diego on Sunday, according to the official. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, carrying over 2,000 Marines, followed on Monday. U.S. officials stated that by the end of November, three aircraft carrier groups and two amphibious landing groups will be positioned in the waters around Iran.
Sources within the Pentagon and the White House, cited in the Al Jazeera report, indicated the deployment’s purpose is to maintain military options for President Donald Trump. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that U.S. forces are “ready to go” if an order is given.
In public remarks, President Trump has commented on the situation. In an interview with Fox News, he said he believes the U.S. is “going to win the war” with Iran “very soon.” In separate comments, he noted that a return to military action “is possible.”
Alongside the military buildup, the U.S. has continued its economic pressure campaign. This week, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Iran’s rail and automotive industries. A statement from the department described the measures as an effort to reduce Tehran’s revenue sources.
The military and economic actions are occurring at the same time as diplomatic channels are being explored. Iranian officials, through Qatari intermediaries, presented a diplomatic plan. The proposal included Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear talks in exchange for the U.S. ending its naval blockade, providing sanctions relief, and agreeing to a regional ceasefire.
The plan was rejected by President Trump. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told NBC that Iran’s demands for sanctions relief were “non-negotiable,” referencing existing global sanctions and seven U.N. Security Council resolutions related to Iran’s nuclear program.
Iranian officials have made contrasting public statements on the matter. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC that Tehran was “fully prepared” to resume military conflict. In a later post on the social media platform X, Araghchi wrote, “We did not come to New York to sell a war. We came to forge peace.”
A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reported that nearly 70 percent of Americans surveyed said the conflict has not been worth fighting. In response to polling data, President Trump said, “the pollsters are corrupt.”
