US Sends Third Aircraft Carrier And 10,000 Marines To Middle East
USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group departed Japan Monday after leaving San Diego on September 27, joining the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington already in the Arabian Sea, as Trump considers new military options against Iran after the November 3 midterms
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group and thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East, US officials told Fox News on Tuesday with the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit expected to arrive in the region by the end of November, as President Donald Trump is considering launching a new military operation against Iran following the November 3 midterm elections.
Two US officials told Fox News that the new force comprises the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, alongside the USS Makin Island readiness group, together totaling approximately 10,000 service members, providing Washington with additional military options in the region.
The Fleet's Current Position
The USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on September 27 and the USS Makin Island departed on September 28. After a three-day stop at the Yokosuka base in Japan, the Roosevelt departed Japan on Monday and is now heading toward the Middle East. While the carrier is capable of reaching the Middle East by the end of next week, one senior US official told Fox News the carrier will likely arrive by the end of November.
Two US aircraft carriers are already in the Arabian Sea supporting American military operations. The USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and the USS George Washington carrier strike group are both currently positioned in the Arabian Sea. The arrival of the Roosevelt is expected to temporarily bring the number of American aircraft carriers in the region to three, or serve as a rotation replacement for the George Washington as part of a normal military cycle.
Why The Marines Matter
The addition of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit significantly expands the operational options available to Washington. Marine units provide the capability for amphibious assault, dense air support, and rapid force deployment on land, going beyond the carrier strike group's primary air power and sea control roles to enable ground force options that a carrier-only deployment does not.
The Political Timeline
The military deployment is occurring as Trump is considering taking new military action against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, according to US officials. Washington and Tehran remain at odds over control of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and finding a mechanism to end the war, which began with the joint US-Israel strikes in late February 2026. Defense Secretary Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday and met Netanyahu, discussing the regional security situation and Iranian threats, though no final decision on launching a large-scale strike has been announced.
Netanyahu publicly declared on Tuesday that eliminating the Iranian regime is Israel's primary objective and confirmed he discussed this with Trump as recently as Sunday. Iran's parliament speaker Qalibaf told Pakistani mediator General Munir on Tuesday that Iran has nothing new to say to Washington until its seven conditions are met. Qatar's Foreign Ministry simultaneously confirmed that US-Iran negotiations are continuing.