America Prepares to Deploy 20,000 Additional Troops in the Middle East

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The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) is preparing for the possibility of sending thousands of naval troops to the Middle East in the coming weeks, as President Donald Trump considers resuming military strikes against Iran after the midterm elections, according to U.S. officials.

U.S. officials said on Thursday that the military plans aim to provide President Trump and military leaders with more flexibility in managing the war, by deploying up to three aircraft carriers and their accompanying ships to the region during November, noting that these movements are still in the planning stage and no final decision has been made regarding their implementation, according to the Washington Post.

The three carrier strike groups are expected to collectively include about 20,000 soldiers, up to 150 fighter jets, along with a large number of destroyers capable of launching missiles and countering missile attacks.

Currently, about 50,000 U.S. soldiers are deployed in the Middle East, according to U.S. officials.

According to officials, the aircraft carriers being considered for deployment include the USS George Washington, which was in the Arabian Sea on Thursday, and the USS George H.W. Bush, currently in the Indian Ocean, in addition to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which left San Diego in recent days and is expected to cross the Pacific Ocean on its way to the region.

The Wall Street Journal had previously revealed plans to deploy the three aircraft carriers, while officials clarified that the naval movements coincide with the deployment of a U.S. amphibious ready group consisting of three ships, known as the Makinen Island group, from California, with the possibility of joining the Boxer amphibious group that has been stationed in the Middle East for months.

Each group includes more than 4,000 sailors and Marines.

In an interview published by Time magazine on Thursday, Trump stated that it is "possible" to expand bombing on Iran after the midterm elections, indicating that military options remain on the table for his administration.

Trump had initiated the war in coordination with Israel on February 28, before the confrontations saw a temporary halt during the summer, coinciding with negotiations between Washington and Tehran to reach a permanent peace agreement.

However, the talks later collapsed, and both sides continued to exchange intermittent attacks.

In contrast, the deployment of new ships may not be a precursor to an expansion of the war, as officials indicated that they could be used to replace naval forces that have spent months at sea, especially if Trump decides not to expand the conflict again.

The aircraft carrier "USS George H.W. Bush" set sail from Virginia in March, while the aircraft carrier "USS George Washington" left its home port in Japan in May, arriving in the Middle East in August.

As for the aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln," it was in the Pacific on Thursday, on its way back to San Diego after a long deployment in the Middle East, during which it faced complaints regarding living conditions and limited port stops.

It is also expected that the "Makin Island" group will replace the "Boxer" group, which includes the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stationed at Camp Pendleton in California, which has been deployed in the region since March.