"U.S. Defense Department Orders Second Aircraft Carrier to Middle East...Deployment Within Two Weeks"

In Preparation for a Potential Strike on Iran
Maximum Pressure on Iran Ahead of Talks

Reuters and Yonhap News

The U.S. Department of Defense has reportedly ordered the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East. With nuclear negotiations with Iran under way, military tensions in the region are expected to rise significantly.

On the 11th (local time), the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing U.S. government officials, reported, "The Pentagon has issued orders to prepare to send a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East in case of a potential attack on Iran," adding, "The Department of Defense is preparing to deploy the carrier within two weeks, and it is likely that a carrier that had been stationed off the U.S. East Coast will be dispatched." The USS George H.W. Bush, which is currently wrapping up training off the coast of Virginia, is widely seen as the most likely candidate for deployment.

The previous day, U.S. President Donald Trump had said that, if nuclear talks with Iran collapse, he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East in preparation for possible military action. Currently, the U.S. military has deployed the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, around 10 warships, various fighter jets, and a total force of about 50,000 personnel in the Middle East.

The WSJ noted that "President Trump has not yet issued a formal order for the deployment of a second aircraft carrier, and the plan could still change," but also reported that "there is a possibility that a deployment order could be issued within hours." If President Trump does order the additional deployment of an aircraft carrier, military tensions in the Middle East are expected to rise sharply.

There is growing concern that, if the ongoing nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran ultimately break down, President Trump could resort to military options. The United States and Iran resumed nuclear talks on the 6th after about eight months, but the negotiations ended without tangible progress, as the two sides failed to narrow differences on key issues such as uranium enrichment and limits on ballistic missile ranges. The two countries are preparing for a second round of talks.

Meanwhile, President Trump has stated that, for now, he intends to give priority to a diplomatic solution. After discussing the Iran nuclear negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, he said on the social networking service Truth Social, "I argued that we should continue negotiations with Iran to see whether an agreement can be reached," adding, "I conveyed that, if an agreement is possible, I would prefer that outcome. If an agreement is not possible, we will have to see what the consequences will be."