The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group will arrive in the Middle East within the next day. The USS George HW Bush and USS George Washington are already deployed in the region.
The New York Times reported on Sunday, speaking with military officials who said the Roosevelt will enter US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) area of responsibility within the next day. A large naval deployment, especially the inclusion of multiple aircraft carrier strike groups, could be a signal the US is preparing to escalate the war against Iran.
Reuters reports, speaking with three people familiar with the matter, that Trump has indicated during national security meetings that he may hold off on ordering new strikes against Iran unless provoked.
The arrival of the Roosevelt follows Iran escalating attacks on targets in the Gulf. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has conducted near-daily attacks on tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.. Last week, Iran attacked an Omani island in the Strait that hosts equipment used to assist ships transiting the waterway.
Bahrain said it was attacked by Iran for the second time in recent days. The Bahraini Defense Ministry said it intercepted several “Iranian aerial threats” on Sunday before they struck their targets.
The IRGC claimed it launched six drones at a US radar installation at a military base in Bahrain, although the US has not confirmed that the attack damaged the facility.
