The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East as Washington seeks to pressure Tehran into negotiations, according to reports from American media outlets on Thursday evening.
As Reuters reports, the USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying escort vessels will redeploy from the Caribbean to the region, the New York Times reported, citing US officials. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
The deployment follows President Donald Trump’s statement earlier this week that he was considering sending additional naval assets to the Middle East if diplomatic efforts with Iran fail to yield results.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by several guided-missile destroyers, arrived in the region in January as the first carrier strike group in the current build-up.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump emphasised the urgency of reaching an agreement with Iran, suggesting negotiations could conclude within a month.
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Trump said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed optimism on Thursday that Trump’s approach might create conditions for a diplomatic resolution that would prevent military confrontation with Iran.
The carrier deployment represents a significant escalation in US military presence in the region as diplomatic efforts continue.
(information from Reuters)
