U.S. Deploys Third Aircraft Carrier To Middle East As War With Iran Enters Eighth Month

The United States is sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East as its war with Iran enters its eighth month.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group left San Diego on Sunday, according to a US official. The USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group left a day later.

The move could leave the US with three aircraft carriers and two amphibious landing groups around Iran by the end of November, the official said.

The deployment comes at a time when fighting between the US and Iran has slowed, but talks to end the war have not made much progress. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the main issues in the negotiations.

Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of a seven-day plan. The proposal also calls for a return to nuclear talks, sanctions relief and a regional ceasefire covering Lebanon and Yemen.

U.S. President Donald Trump rejected the proposal.

In an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, Trump said Iran had offered to “open up” the Strait of Hormuz. He said the proposal was not good enough.

The Theodore Roosevelt carries about 5,000 sailors and Marines. More personnel are travelling on the other ships in its carrier strike group.

The Makin Island amphibious readiness group includes an assault ship, aircraft and about 2,200 Marines.

Together, the two groups are carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines, according to the information provided.

A US official said the Roosevelt deployment could bring up to 10,000 more service members to the region. The final destination of the carrier has not yet been decided.

Two other US carriers are already in the region. They are the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington.

The USS Boxer amphibious readiness group is also operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

If the Roosevelt arrives, the US will once again have three carrier strike groups in the Middle East.

The US Navy had three carrier strike groups in the region in April. It was the first time since 2003 that three had been there at the same time.

The George Washington normally operates in the Pacific. It was sent to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The Lincoln’s crew had spent more than 260 days at sea without returning to port.

The George Washington could later move towards seas off Japan after the Roosevelt arrives.

A US official said three carriers could be in the region as early as the end of October. Another assessment said three carriers and two amphibious landing groups could be around Iran by the end of November.

References: The Guardian, TOI