Another U.S. Navy aircraft carrier has left its home port in San Diego recently and is heading for the Middle East as President Donald Trump has said it’s “possible” the military could resume offensive attacks against Iran after the midterm elections.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier left on a scheduled deployment last Sunday, while the USS Makin Island, which is comprised of three amphibious ships carrying Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, departed from the same port a day later and is heading to the region, according to USNI News.
The USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington carrier strike groups are already in the Middle East. It’s unclear whether either will leave the region when the Roosevelt arrives. It would be the first time since April there are three carrier strike groups in the region if they stay. There are already roughly 50,000 U.S. troops in the region and the new carrier strike group would provide more options and firepower for the president.
The USS George Washington relieved the USS Abraham Lincoln in August, which had one of the longest naval deployments in decades.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations,” Lt. Carolina Fernandez, a spokeswoman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, told the Washington Examiner.
“An integral part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the region and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations — from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster response. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation and overflight, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the region,” she continued.
The additional moves will likely exacerbate the strain on the Navy, which has borne the brunt of the conflict.
The Navy is still imposing a blockade on Iranian ports, while the tens of thousands of service members in the region are prepared for a possible intensification of the conflict at a moment’s notice.
Trump told Time magazine it’s “possible” he would authorize a renewed bombing campaign against Iran after the midterm elections after he rejected a recent Iranian proposal, which he said was “not good enough.”
INSIDE THE ROOM FOR HEGSETH’S ‘STATE OF THE FORCE’ ADDRESS
The cost of the Iran war is believed to be north of $40 billion. The Congressional Budget Office released an estimate of the cost of the conflict in mid-September. It found that as of the start of August, the conflict had cost $38 billion, but costs between $2 billion-$3 billion each month as long as operations remain at relatively the same levels they have in June through August.
Nineteen service members have been killed during the war, while over 800 have been injured.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
