The US is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, as President Donald Trump weighs ramping up military action against Iran.
A US official told The National on Thursday that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is on its way to Central Command's area of operations, which spans the Middle East.
The Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered carrier is accompanied by its carrier strike group, made up of several ships. A separate amphibious group carrying more than 2,000 marines has also departed for the region.
Mr Trump last week told the UN General Assembly that he was facing a choice over whether to pursue a deal with Iran or drive it “into hell”. He suggested Tehran might reach an agreement after the US midterm elections on November 3 but also said he might "annihilate" the Iranian regime.
US officials told the Wall Street Journal that the Roosevelt strike group will arrive in the region by the end of November.
The USS George HW Bush and USS George Washington aircraft carriers are already in the region. The Roosevelt is expected to relieve the Washington, which is based in Japan and has been in the region since August after replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The deployment comes after reports emerged that conditions aboard the Lincoln had deteriorated after months at sea. The US Navy's acting secretary disclosed last week that eight servicemembers in the carrier strike group had attempted to take their own lives during the deployment.
The Iran war is at a critical juncture. The US and Iran held indirect talks on the sidelines of last week's UN General Assembly in New York but Mr Trump has continued to threaten new military action.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran has “never shied away from talks, and we never will”.
Mr Trump said Iran must “either decide to sign a very fair deal, or they won't exist any longer”.
