WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East as President Trump considers whether to intensify military action against Iran following the midterm elections, according to reports.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group left San Diego on Sunday, bringing as many as 9,000 to 10,000 service members into the deployment as Trump weighs his next move on Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington are already operating in the region. The George Washington took over from the USS Abraham Lincoln in August after the Lincoln completed a record-length deployment that was reportedly marked by difficult conditions for its crew.
CHECK THIS OUT: Treasury Secretary Bessent Says Iran Has Two Weeks of Trade Left
The Pentagon had prepared the Theodore Roosevelt for an extended mission following troubling reports that exhausted sailors had tried to jump overboard amid shortages of essential supplies. Iranian strikes had disrupted regional supply routes, including those serving a strategically important port in Bahrain.
Before leaving port, the carrier was stocked with expanded supplies of food, hygiene products, retail goods and other necessities. Navy leaders highlighted those preparations last month.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
