The Pentagon is preparing to deploy a second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as President Donald Trump warned that nuclear negotiations with Iran must produce results.
Trump made clear that military options remain on the table.
The Wall Street Journal reported that defense officials are developing plans to send another carrier to join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already operating in the region.
The move would significantly expand America’s naval firepower amid mounting tensions.
Trump said earlier this week that if talks with Tehran falter, he would not hesitate to reinforce U.S. forces.
“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.”
Trump emphasized that he preferred diplomacy but underscored that pressure is part of the 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 being readied for possible deployment pending a final order from the president.
The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has already repositioned to waters near the Arabian Sea after operating in the Indo-Pacific, restoring a continuous U.S. carrier presence in the broader Middle East.
A carrier strike group centers on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that functions as a mobile air base capable of launching sustained combat operations.
The carrier typically embarks 60 to 75 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
The strike group also includes guided-missile cruisers and destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system for air and ballistic missile defense, and it is often supported by an attack submarine providing undersea warfare capability.
Together, the formation delivers long-range strike power, missile defense, maritime security operations and rapid-response capability in a crisis.
Sending a second carrier would mark the most significant U.S. naval buildup in the region in months and would sharply increase the military leverage backing U.S. diplomacy.
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran resumed Feb. 6 in Muscat, Oman, marking the first sustained diplomatic engagement since last year’s flare-up involving Iranian-backed militias and U.S. forces.
U.S. officials have said any agreement must permanently prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and must include strict inspection and verification mechanisms.
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 pressed for broader discussions addressing Iran’s ballistic missile program and its support for proxy groups across the Middle East.
Iranian leaders have pushed back against expanding the talks, insisting their nuclear program is peaceful and rejecting what they characterize as unrelated demands.
Iran continues to enrich uranium to high levels, and Western officials warn that enrichment has approached weapons-grade thresholds, dramatically shortening Tehran’s nuclear breakout timeline.
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.
Trump met Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where Iran dominated the agenda.
After 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 said Israel’s position is that any agreement must address not only enrichment but also Iran’s missile capabilities and support for armed groups in the region.
Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that a narrow nuclear agreement would leave broader security threats intact.
The Pentagon has not announced a final deployment decision, but officials cautioned that preparing a strike group ensures the United States can move quickly if directed.
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