The Pentagon is considering deploying additional naval and Marine forces to the Middle East, according to a US official, including potentially an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf and about 10,000 additional sailors and Marines.
One report says the US may base three aircraft carriers near Iran, while another focuses on the possibility of adding a single carrier and the larger personnel increase. Both accounts link the potential redeployment to providing commanders with additional options if President Donald Trump decides to escalate actions involving Iran. The sources do not specify the timing, the exact number of ships once the deployments are finalized, or whether the moves are already ordered rather than being contemplated.
Overall, the outlets describe a possible expansion of US force posture in the region tied to contingency planning related to Iran, with differing emphasis on how many carriers may be positioned near Iran and on the size of the accompanying troop increase.
