More U.S. warships and about nine thousand troops deployed against Iran

The United States is sending another significant naval force to the Middle East, as Donald Trump has once again signaled that he is considering resuming larger-scale military operations against Iran. According to an Associated Press report citing a U.S. official, around nine thousand troops are serving aboard the ships heading to the region, including more than seven thousand sailors and two thousand marines; the force includes the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Makin Island amphibious group.

The movement could allow for the temporary presence of three American carriers in the region. Differing estimates have emerged regarding the timing of the deployments and the actual buildup of forces; a Wall Street Journal report, cited by Anadolu, for instance, estimates that the new units will arrive by the end of November. According to the paper's sources, the Pentagon is preparing military options that the president could use even after the midterm elections, while some of the warships have long been serving in the region, meaning the newly arriving ones could partly serve as their replacements. Because of the possible return home of the USS George Washington, the dispatch of the new carrier does not in itself mean a lasting, simultaneous presence of three groups.

Meanwhile, Iran is simultaneously preparing for further American attacks and trying to maintain indirect diplomatic contact. According to Reuters' Iranian sources , the military leadership is examining the possibility of a broader retaliatory strike, extending the range of potential targets to countries supporting American operations, though no final decision has been made. Through Qatari mediation, Tehran has put forward a proposal that would link the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the halting of hostilities to the lifting of the American blockade, sanctions relief, and the release of frozen funds. One of the fundamental obstacles to the talks remains that Washington also wants an agreement on Iran's nuclear program, while Tehran insists that its own conditions be met first.

Ugar