THE United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as military tensions with Iran persist, despite President Donald Trump expressing confidence that the conflict will end soon.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the deployment of three carrier strike groups would represent the largest US naval build-up in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Two US officials said the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit were expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of November.
The carrier 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.
Forieng news agencies cited Trump saying the conflict, which began on Feb 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Tehran, to end in the near future, but gave no timeline or specific strategy for achieving that goal.
“It will end soon. We need an assurance that nuclear weapons will never be possessed,” he said in an interview with a radio station in Kansas City.
Meanwhile, Israel has reportedly completed preparations for a possible resumption of hostilities with Iran, as Washington and Tehran continue negotiations.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the country's military had finalised plans for both offensive and defensive operations, although the decision to resume fighting rests with Trump.
The preparations reportedly extend beyond contingency planning, with the Israeli air force repeatedly conducting flights involving dozens of fighter jets and refuelling aircraft through Syrian and Iraqi airspace towards the Iranian border to practise potential strike routes.
The newspaper, citing unnamed political sources, also reported that 10 US military transport aircraft had arrived at Israeli air bases in recent days as part of efforts to deliver military equipment to the region.
CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper had presented Trump with several options for renewed strikes during a meeting attended by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, the report said.
No decision had been made on whether to resume military operations.
An Israeli source cited by the newspaper questioned whether another air campaign could achieve its strategic objectives.
The source warned that strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, missile systems and military infrastructure would not necessarily topple its government or change its policies. - November 2, 2026
