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The Pentagon is dispatching a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs his next steps regarding the war with Iran. The USS
Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group departed San Diego on Sunday, carrying thousands of sailors and Marines. According to a US official, the carrier's deployment could bring up to 10,000 additional service members to the region, although no final decision has been made on its destination. The USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington are already stationed in the region. If the Theodore Roosevelt arrives in the Middle East, it would bring the number of US carrier strike groups there back to three, matching the number present at the outset of the war against Iran.
Pentagon Expands Military Options Amid Iran Tensions
The Roosevelt carrier itself carries about 5,000 sailors and Marines, with thousands more personnel spread across its accompanying vessels. US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said it does not discuss unit schedules for operational security reasons.
On Monday, the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, which includes an assault ship, aircraft and 2,200 Marines, also set sail, according to the US official. The USS Boxer amphibious readiness group is currently operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon had prepared the Theodore Roosevelt for a potentially long deployment, including maximizing supplies of food, hygiene products, retail goods, and other critical items before its departure.
The move comes as major US and Iranian military strikes have entered a lull amid efforts to revive diplomatic negotiations. However, talks to end the war, now in its eighth month, remain deadlocked over issues including Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reportedly suggested in private talks that Tehran was willing to restore nuclear inspectors' access to bombed facilities in exchange for sanctions relief.
If the Roosevelt joins the other two carrier strike groups in the region, it would mark the first time since 2003 that the US has had three carrier strike groups in the Middle East. Those carriers supported the early phase of the invasion of Iraq.
