The Pentagon is moving forward with plans to potentially send a second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Iran and makes clear that nuclear negotiations must yield concrete results.
Trump has publicly reiterated that while diplomacy remains his preferred path, military action remains an available option if talks fail.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, defense officials are drafting operational plans that would dispatch another carrier to reinforce the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group currently deployed in the region.
Such a step would substantially increase American naval strength in an area already facing rising tensions.
Earlier this week, Trump signaled that a breakdown in discussions with Tehran would prompt a swift U.S. response, including bolstering American forces in the Middle East.
“We’re not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, adding that while discussions are ongoing, “if we don’t make a deal, we’ll handle it the other way.”
He stressed that although he favors a diplomatic resolution, sustained pressure is an essential component of his strategy.
“They understand that,” he said of Iranian leaders. “We want peace, but it has to be real peace.”
The Journal reported that the USS George H.W. Bush is currently being prepared and could be deployed once the president issues a final authorization.
Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has shifted from its prior operations in the Indo-Pacific to waters near the Arabian Sea, restoring a continuous U.S. aircraft carrier presence across the broader Middle East.
At the core of a carrier strike group is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that operates as a floating air base capable of conducting extended combat missions.
Each carrier typically carries between 60 and 75 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
In addition to the carrier, the strike group includes guided-missile cruisers and destroyers outfitted with the Aegis combat system, enabling both air defense and protection against ballistic missiles. An attack submarine is often attached as well, providing underwater warfare capability.
Together, these assets provide long-range strike capacity, missile interception, maritime security enforcement, and rapid-response capabilities during regional crises.
Deploying a second carrier would represent the largest American naval buildup in the Middle East in recent months and would significantly strengthen the military backing behind U.S. diplomatic efforts.
Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran resumed on Feb. 6 in Muscat, Oman, marking the first sustained engagement since last year’s confrontation involving Iranian-backed militias and U.S. forces.
American officials have maintained that any future agreement must permanently block Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and include rigorous inspection and verification requirements.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” stressing that enforcement and transparency are non-negotiable elements of any deal.
The Trump administration has also sought to widen the scope of negotiations to cover Iran’s ballistic missile development and its support for proxy groups throughout the region.
Tehran, however, has resisted expanding the framework of talks, insisting its nuclear activities are peaceful and rejecting what it calls unrelated demands.
Iran continues enriching uranium to elevated levels, and Western officials warn that the enrichment process is nearing weapons-grade thresholds, sharply reducing the time Iran would need to produce a nuclear weapon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week that Iran “does not seek nuclear weapons” and is prepared to provide assurances about its nuclear activities, though he did not signal a halt to enrichment.
On Wednesday, Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, with Iran emerging as the central topic of discussion.
Following the meeting, Trump said he “insisted that negotiations continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” but reiterated that “we will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Netanyahu stated that Israel believes any agreement must address not only uranium enrichment but also Iran’s missile arsenal and its backing of armed groups across the Middle East.
Israeli officials have consistently warned that a limited nuclear arrangement would fail to neutralize broader regional threats posed by Tehran.
The Pentagon has not yet made a final determination regarding the additional deployment, though defense officials noted that preparing the strike group ensures the United States can act swiftly if the president gives the order.
{Matzav.com}
