U.S. sends third carrier group and 2,000 Marines toward Iran theater
A U.S. official said the Theodore Roosevelt strike group and a Marine expeditionary force left San Diego as President Trump signals possible strikes after the midterms and diplomacy remains stuck.
What we know: The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, along with an amphibious force carrying more than 2,000 Marines, a U.S. official told Al Jazeera on Friday. The USS Theodore Roosevelt group left San Diego on Sunday, followed a day later by the Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Force, the official said. CNBC reported the same buildup, citing Al Jazeera and noting a Wall Street Journal account that the full force is expected to be in place by November.
By the end of November, three carriers and two amphibious landing groups are expected to be positioned around Iran, the official told Al Jazeera. About 50,000 U.S. service members are already in the region; the new package adds troops and air power, including F-35s, Al Jazeera reported from Washington.
War and diplomacy: The war with Iran is in its eighth month and remains in a stalemate, CNBC reported. Indirect talks stalled after Washington rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the U.S. blockade and related relief. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly ordered Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s delegation to leave New York earlier than planned after Qatari-mediated talks failed, CNBC said.
Trump has signaled he may resume strikes after the November midterm elections, according to reporting cited by CNBC and Al Jazeera. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said forces are “ready to go” if ordered, Al Jazeera reported. Araghchi told NBC Tehran was “fully prepared” to resume fighting while also writing that Iran came to New York “to forge peace,” Al Jazeera said.
Pressure beyond the carriers: The U.S. Treasury on Thursday sanctioned Iran’s auto and rail sectors and a Russia-linked financial channel it says Iran uses to evade sanctions, CNBC reported. UK Maritime Trade Operations said a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, with the crew reported safe. A Saudi-led coalition accused Iran-backed Houthis of a drone attack on a Medina power station; Houthis denied the claim, CNBC said.
What is still unresolved: Officials have not publicly detailed strike plans or timelines beyond the November force posture. Whether diplomacy resumes, and on what terms, remains unclear. An AP-NORC poll cited by Al Jazeera found nearly 70% of Americans say the war has not been worth fighting.
What this means: Washington is stacking military options in the Gulf while talks stay deadlocked — a larger U.S. presence that raises the risk of escalation even if no new bombing order has been announced.