Khaberni - The U.S. Department of War has issued instructions for a second aircraft carrier to prepare for deployment in the Middle East, as part of U.S. military preparations for a potential attack on Iran, according to three U.S. officials who spoke to the «Wall Street Journal».
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East in preparation for military intervention if negotiations with Iran fail. One of the officials mentioned that deployment orders could be issued within hours.
The officials confirmed that Trump has not yet issued a formal order to deploy the second aircraft carrier, and that the plans are subject to change. This carrier would join the U.S. aircraft carrier «USS Abraham Lincoln» already in the region, which includes a battle group consisting of aircraft, «Tomahawk» missiles, and several ships.
Trump said in an interview with the news site «Axios» on Tuesday that he is considering sending a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in preparation for a possible military intervention if negotiations with Iran fail.
The U.S. President expects the second round of talks with Iran to take place next week, following the first round hosted in Muscat on Friday last week.
One of the officials told the «Wall Street Journal» that the Pentagon is preparing an aircraft carrier for deployment within two weeks, which will likely sail from the U.S. East Coast.
The U.S. aircraft carrier «USS George H.W. Bush» is conducting a series of exercises off the eastern coast of Virginia, and this carrier may speed up the pace of these exercises, according to the officials.
The United States has strengthened its military presence in the region in recent weeks, having dispatched the aircraft carrier «USS Abraham Lincoln» from the South China Sea, in addition to additional warships, air defense systems, and fighter squadrons.
The deployment of a second aircraft carrier in the Middle East will mark the first time two aircraft carriers have been in the region since about a year ago, when the carriers «USS Harry S. Truman» and «USS Carl Vinson» were present in the Middle East to fight the Houthis in Yemen in March 2025.
