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World

US deploys Roosevelt carrier and Makin Island group to Middle East

The US is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious group to the Middle East, a naval buildup of about 9,000 sailors and Marines as President Trump weighs resuming strikes on Iran.

By James Calloway · · 1 min read

A US Navy F-14D fighter jet (VF-213, aircraft number 213) on an aircraft carrier flight deck, with a yellow-shirt crew member signaling to the pilot
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Eben Boothby, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The United States is deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious group to the Middle East, expanding its military options as President Donald Trump considers whether to resume strikes against Iran.

The deployments, reported by the Financial Times and the US Naval Institute, involve roughly 9,000 sailors and Marines, according to AFP. The Roosevelt departed San Diego on 27 September and is expected to relieve an aircraft carrier already operating in the region.

Fox News, quoting two US officials, reported separately that the US was sending the Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, adding about 10,000 sailors and Marines by the end of November, according to The National. That would make the Roosevelt the third US aircraft carrier in the region.

The reports came after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, 19 October, as the two sides discussed the possibility of resuming major combat operations against Iran.

The buildup follows a deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear programme: Iran refuses to surrender enriched uranium and insists Washington meet its conditions before negotiations resume.

Sources:

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