The United States is increasing its visible military presence near Iran as the war enters its eighth month, with plans to position three aircraft carriers and two amphibious landing groups in the region by the end of November. The deployment would add 9,000 to 10,000 US troops, including sailors and Marines, to a Middle East presence already estimated at roughly 50,000 service members.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group left its San Diego base on Sunday, bound for waters in the Middle East close to Iran. Its departure marks the deployment of a third US aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
The Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Unit, or MEU, left a day later. It is carrying more than 2,000 Marines. The new naval deployment also includes F-35 fighter jets.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said US forces are 'ready to go' should Trump order new attacks. The brief does not set out the operational objectives of the deployment, its expected duration or the precise arrival dates for the three carriers and two amphibious groups.
The additional forces will join a US military network that already extends across the Middle East. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates from at least 19 locations in the region. Eight US military bases are permanent, located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
As of mid-2025, between 40,000 and 50,000 US soldiers were stationed around the Middle East. The latest deployment is set to augment the roughly 50,000 US service members already in the region, bringing further naval and air power closer to Iran during the continuing conflict.
The timing also places the buildup just a month before November US midterm elections. No details have been provided on whether carrier strike groups beyond the three planned for the region may be deployed, or on any congressional notification or authorisation connected to the movement of forces.
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