The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt will join two other US aircraft carriers in the Middle East within the next day, bringing the total American carrier presence in the region to three, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing a US military official.
The deployment comes as Iran launched a drone attack against Bahrain on Sunday for the second time in three days, ending a roughly two-month lull in hostilities while peace negotiations with Washington remain stalled. Sunday’s strike followed a Friday incident in which US forces intercepted two Iranian drones headed toward the Gulf nation.
Neither the Pentagon nor US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Middle East, has issued an official confirmation regarding the carrier’s deployment schedule.
The renewed exchanges come amid a broader diplomatic breakdown and a US military buildup in the region, part of the ongoing Iran war that began with coordinated US-Israeli strikes in late February.
US President Donald Trump recently removed Vice President JD Vance from peace talks and declared on social media that Washington no longer needs an agreement with Tehran.
Despite the carrier deployment, the US military recently denied an Israeli media report alleging it is preparing for a possible resumption of operations against Iran, dismissing claims of regional force posture changes as “pure speculation.”
