US sends third carrier and thousands more troops toward Middle East

The United States is significantly expanding its military footprint in the Middle East, with a third aircraft carrier and roughly 9,000 additional personnel heading towards the region as President Donald Trump weighs the possibility of renewed large-scale attacks on Iran, according to AP.

Trump raised the prospect of further military action on Thursday, telling reporters that Iran faced a choice between accepting what he described as a “very fair deal” or potentially facing devastating consequences. In an interview with Time published the same day, the US president said further strikes against Iran were “possible” following the November 3 midterm elections, although he declined to elaborate on Washington’s plans.

AP reported that the latest deployment includes approximately 7,000 sailors and 2,000 marines. Their arrival would push the total US military presence in the Middle East beyond 20,000 personnel, a level the agency described as unusually large.

An unnamed US official told AP that the reinforcements include the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the cruiser USS Chosin. Also moving towards the region is the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, accompanied by the amphibious vessels USS John P. Murtha and USS Anchorage.

Two other American aircraft carriers, the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, have already been deployed. According to the report, this could result in three US carriers operating in the Middle East simultaneously by the end of October.

The last time Washington maintained three carriers in the region was in April, during intense US-Israeli missile exchanges with Iran. Before that, such a concentration of American naval power had not occurred since 2003.

The military buildup comes amid continued uncertainty over whether Washington will escalate its campaign against Tehran following the US midterm elections.

Additional Patriot missile batteries have also reportedly been deployed to protect oil and gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The deployments come as Washington considers its military options against Iran and the potential use of regional airspace.

Trump has also addressed the possible domestic political consequences of the conflict. Asked whether the confrontation with Iran could hurt Republicans in the midterm elections, he initially conceded that it was possible before arguing that the conflict could instead benefit his party because Iran would be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Public opposition to the conflict nevertheless remains substantial. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll published Thursday suggested that around 70% of Americans disapprove of the war with Iran.

The confrontation has continued considerably longer than Trump initially indicated. Following the first US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February, the president said the fighting would be finished within weeks. Instead, hostilities have continued while diplomatic efforts remain stalled.

Trump told Time that he had rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal, presented during the UN General Assembly the previous week, saying the terms were no longer acceptable to him.

Tehran, meanwhile, has warned that another escalation by Washington would provoke a stronger response. Iranian Parliament Speaker and senior negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in September that any further US attacks would be answered with retaliation that was “faster, heavier and more painful.”

Ghalibaf also declared that Iran no longer regarded itself as bound to proportionate retaliation, describing its recent attacks on bases used by its adversaries as only the beginning of what could follow further military action.