By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-10-01 19:11:57 | Updated at 2026-10-01 21:12:14
2 hours ago
U.S. Navy sailors conduct flight operations on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) on Sept. 7, 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alexander Bussman
A carrier strike group and an amphibious ready group carrying a contingent of Marines deployed from the West Coast this week en route to the Middle East, a U.S. defense official told The Epoch Times on Thursday.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt set sail from San Diego on Sept. 27, the official said, and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit set sail from San Diego on Sept. 28.
These deployments come amid an ongoing armed standoff with Iran, which U.S. and Israeli forces initiated on Feb. 28.
The George Washington and George H.W. Bush carrier strike groups and the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group are already operating in the waterways of the Middle East. With the latest deployments, there could be three carrier strike groups and two amphibious ready groups simultaneously operating in the waters of the Middle East by late November, the official said.
Last month, President Donald Trump predicted the Iran conflict would end “immediately after” the 2026 U.S. midterm elections in November, as it will determine which party will control Congress. This week, Trump declined to rule out new U.S. strikes on Iran ahead of the elections.
These latest force deployments could provide Trump with expanded options for escalatory military action against Iran.
The aircraft carrier Roosevelt would include an embarked air wing consisting of multiple squadrons of strike fighter jets, and additional helicopter and support aircraft squadrons.
The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group could carry a mix of additional strike aircraft and attack helicopters, and the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit would consist of around 2,000 Marines, including a ground combat element.
While U.S. and Iranian forces have traded strikes in sporadic bouts since July, much of the current U.S. strategy is to economically constrain Iran while safeguarding trade through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces in the region have escorted commercial ships through the key waterway, while maintaining a blockade on ships attempting to trade with Iran.
The U.S. government has also imposed new rounds of sanctions against Tehran, in an effort known as Operation Economic Outcast. The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions designations targeting Iran’s domestic industries and financial lifelines.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Sunday that Iran’s oil exports are dwindling.
“They will have nothing to trade for anything, probably within the next two weeks. They are going to make their final deliveries of oil to China, and then they will have nothing,” he said.
