US President Donald Trump has announced that a second aircraft carrier group will soon head to the Middle East, significantly escalating military pressure on Iran amid ongoing negotiations over its nuclear program.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford would be redeployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
“It’ll be leaving very shortly,” Trump said when asked about the reports. He added a pointed warning: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.”
The move comes as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise. Trump suggested that military strength was being positioned as leverage while diplomatic efforts continue.
Trump also said the situation must be resolved decisively, adding, “We’ll get it settled for once and for all, and that’ll be good.”
“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk,” Trump said. “Let’s see what happens. In the meantime, tremendous power has arrived and additional power, as you know, and other carriers are going out shortly. So we’ll see it out. Get it settled for once and for all, and that’ll be good.”
Trump also referenced the deployment of what he described as “a very big carrier group” to the region, underscoring the scale of the buildup.
“We have a situation right now where we have sent a very big carrier group to Iran. I would love to see if we could make a deal. They’ve been difficult to make a deal with. I thought we would have had a deal last time. They wish they did, and that’s what we did, Midnight Hammer,” he said, without elaborating further.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, along with guided-missile destroyers, is already operating in the Arabian Sea. Last week, US forces shot down an Iranian drone that approached the carrier, further heightening tensions.
Strained relations have worsened following Iran’s deadly crackdown on protesters last month, which reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths. The United States has warned Tehran of “traumatic” consequences if it fails to agree to a deal limiting its nuclear program. Despite the escalating rhetoric, both sides held indirect talks in Oman last week.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
