The Pentagon could soon send more firepower toward the Middle East as the White House balances a major military build-up with high-stakes diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal reports that a second aircraft carrier strike group has been told to prepare for deployment to the region.
If approved, the second carrier — one option officials cited is the USS George H.W. Bush — would join the USS Abraham Lincoln already in the area, creating a two-carrier presence.
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The Journal reported Wednesday that the deployment order could come within hours, but officials cautioned that Trump had not yet issued a formal order and that plans could change.
Two-carrier presence
If approved, the additional strike group would link up with the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already in the region alongside additional warships, air defenses and fighter squadrons. This build-up follows a series of joint Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year.
Trump threatened military intervention last month in response to a violent crackdown on Iranian protesters, though he ultimately stopped short of ordering a strike.
The Journal said it would be the first two-carrier presence in nearly a year; in March 2025, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson were both in the region to battle Yemen-backed Houthi rebels. The military moves come as the U.S. and Iran prepare to resume negotiations after Oman facilitated talks last week.
Trump warns of ‘something very tough’ if talks fail
The Wall Street Journal reports that the USS George H.W. Bush, currently finishing training off the Virginia coast, could deploy within two weeks if its schedule is accelerated.
Trump has publicly signaled both a willingness to escalate and a preference for a deal. Reuters reports that he told Israeli media the U.S. might be forced to do “something very tough” if negotiations fail.
However, following a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump emphasized his preference for a deal. The president wrote in a social media post that he “insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated.”
“If it can, I let the Prime Minister know that will be a preference,” Trump wrote.
Reuters reports that recent talks in Oman allowed Iran to gauge U.S. intentions, with Iranian officials stating the meetings produced enough consensus to continue the process. Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, reportedly discussed an agreement with Oman’s sultan before heading to Qatar.
Reuters notes that Washington wants to expand the scope of talks to include Iran’s ballistic missile program, a condition Tehran has rejected, calling its missile stockpile non-negotiable.
Talks hinge on nuclear enrichment and possible missile limits
U.S. and Iran held five rounds of talks last year, which broke down over disputes about uranium enrichment inside Iran. Since the U.S. strikes on its facilities last year, Iran claims to have halted enrichment activity and maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful.
Washington has demanded Iran relinquish uranium enriched up to 60%, which Reuters noted is a small step away from 90% considered weapons grade. Iran’s nuclear chief told Reuters that any reduction in that stockpile is conditional on the complete lifting of sanctions.
During a visit to Armenia, Vice President JD Vance stated that Trump would ultimately decide “where we draw the red lines” regarding enrichment. Reuters analysis of satellite images showed U.S. forces at Qatar’s al-Udeid base put missiles into truck launchers, allowing them to be moved more quickly as tensions rose.
