The United States is preparing to send a third aircraft carrier and up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to rise. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group are expected to reach the region by the end of November. The deployment would add around 9,000 to 10,000 US service members to the region.
Two other US aircraft carriers are already there. They are the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington. The USS George Washington normally operates in the Pacific. However, it has moved to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after its long deployment.
The new deployment would push the number of US sailors and Marines in the region to more than 20,000. Hundreds of US military aircraft would also be part of the wider presence.
Trump Rejects Iran Peace Proposal
The latest US military move comes after Trump rejected a peace proposal put forward by Iran at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Iran said the proposal had been sent to the US through Qatari mediators. Trump dismissed the offer while speaking to reporters at the White House.
“They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump said. The Strait of Hormuz is a key global energy route. Any prolonged disruption there could have wider economic consequences.
Trump Links Flydubai Incident to Iran
Trump also raised questions about a possible Iranian connection to a recent Flydubai incident. He was asked whether Iran was linked to the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to crash an Israel-bound flight.
“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is ‘yes,’ but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said.
When asked whether the US would retaliate if Iran was found responsible, Trump replied, “Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry.”
The reporter also asked whether the man could have been placed on the aircraft by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or radicalised before attempting to bring down the plane.a
“Could have been, yeah,” Trump replied. However, there has been no official evidence so far confirming Iranian involvement in the Flydubai incident.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
