Pentagon Orders Second Carrier as US Expands Strike Pressure on Iran

The United States Department of Defense has instructed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for possible deployment to the Middle East, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing three U.S. officials. 

The move would place two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region for the first time in nearly a year, increasing American strike capacity as negotiations with Tehran continue. A carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the region in late January.

According to the Journal, the Pentagon is preparing a carrier, likely from the U.S. East Coast., for deployment within two weeks. The USS George H.W. Bush, currently conducting training exercises off the coast of Virginia, is considered a likely candidate. The outlet noted that the vessel is capable of launching F-35 aircraft that could be used in a potential strike inside Iran.

Trump said after meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House that talks with Iran remain his preference. “There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,” he wrote on Truth Social. “If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”

The president also warned Tehran by referencing a prior U.S. operation. “Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a Deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer. That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time they will be more reasonable and responsible.”

Satellite images released this week from the U.S. military’s regional footprint showed what analysts described as an apparent buildup at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. One image showed Patriot missile launchers mounted on trucks, positioned for rapid deployment in the event of Iranian missile fire or for quick relocation if needed.

At the same time, U.S. forces departed the al-Tanf military base in eastern Syria after removing equipment over a period of approximately 15 days, according to two Syrian military sources who spoke to Agence France-Presse. “The American forces withdrew entirely from al-Tanf base today,” one source told AFP. The troops were relocated to Jordan, where U.S. personnel have been stationed for decades.

An Iranian lawmaker responded to rising tensions by threatening American positions in the region. Mojtaba Zarei called on Jordanians to seize a U.S. military base in the kingdom, writing in Farsi and Arabic, “Prepare yourselves to seize it and take American soldiers captive after the missiles strike this base.”

Details of a potential second round of U.S.-Iran talks have not yet been finalized, according to the Journal. While no deployment order has been signed, the preparation of a second carrier strike group marks a significant shift in U.S. military posture as diplomacy and deterrence proceed simultaneously.