U.S. President Donald Trump is considering renewed strikes on Iran after the midterm elections.
The Pentagon is deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group to the Middle East, adding 9,000 to 10,000 troops.
The troop movement, which includes a third aircraft carrier, underscores the rapidly evolving dynamic of Trump’s war against Iran as he ponders his next move, with midterm elections in the United States looming large and new signs that the nature of the conflict may be becoming more complex.
The group of ships now en route to the Middle East together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.
It could mean that three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the US official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.
Given the personnel already in place in the Middle East, the move would bring the US naval presence to an unusually high number of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines as well as hundreds of aircraft.
Trump told reporters Thursday that early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday.
‘We’re working on it right now and being very open with us.’
Responding to whether the pilot has links to Iran or the IRGC, Trump shot back: ‘I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes. But we’re working on it right now.’
If the co-pilot is found to have links to Iran, the US will punish the regime for backing the attack, Trump warned.
‘They’ll be hit very hard,’ he said, delivering his five-word threat. ‘Don’t worry.’
Trump added that if the link to Iran is established, the United States would retaliate.
