A senior American official confirmed Thursday evening that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has left its San Diego base with its strike group and is underway to the Middle East. The official stated that the US intends to deploy three aircraft carriers and two amphibious groups around Iran, marking a major naval buildup.
A senior American official confirmed Thursday evening that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has departed its San Diego base with its strike group and is heading to the Middle East. The official stated that the US intends to deploy three aircraft carriers and two amphibious groups around Iran, marking a significant naval buildup.
The Zioneer reported earlier Thursday evening that the US was sending a third carrier and a second Marine unit to the region (17:41), identified the carrier as the Theodore Roosevelt (17:52), and further reported the dispatch of the amphibious assault group USS Makin Island carrying over 2,000 Marines, with plans to reach a three-carrier force by November (17:58). The official's on-record remarks corroborate the operational direction established by these previous reports.
The buildup comes amid sustained US-Iranian hostilities. As The Zioneer has reported in recent months, the US has maintained a heavy naval presence near Iran, including multiple carrier strike groups, and has conducted direct kinetic strikes against Iranian targets following a series of escalations.
The official did not specify a timeline for the three-carrier and two-amphibious-group posture. The earlier target of November reported by an American official to Al Jazeera was not reiterated in this latest confirmation.
5 developments
- DevelopingPentagon planning additional naval forces in Middle East as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran, report says
- StrongWSJ: US sends Marine amphibious group, additional 9,000 troops to Middle East after Iran talks
- StrongOvernight report: USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier en route to Middle East, expected December
- DevelopingTrump reportedly planning full military escalation with Iran, targeting power plants and nuclear sites
Source and signal
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