WASHINGTON — The United States has increased its military presence in the Middle East by deploying a second aircraft carrier, following threats from President Donald Trump to bomb Iran if it does not agree to a deal over its nuclear weapons capabilities.
The Pentagon extended the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group and ordered a second flotilla to the region, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Tuesday. Additional warplanes, including F-35 fighters and B-2 stealth bombers, were also sent, a U.S. official said.
The move follows Trump’s warning that military action would be taken if Iran fails to make a deal. “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump told NBC in a phone interview on Sunday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded on Monday, saying Iran believes a U.S. strike is unlikely but warned of a strong retaliation if provoked. “If they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow,” Khamenei said.
Michael Knights, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, noted uncertainty about whether the carrier’s deployment was linked to Iran’s nuclear ambitions or ongoing attacks on the Houthis by the Trump administration. “One option is that… we’re signaling we don’t want Iran or the Houthis to broaden the fight at all,” Knights said. “We put more carriers in place, and we have the B-2 to say, ‘Iran, if you get involved in this, we can come for you too.’”
Trump’s decision follows his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, which had restricted Iran’s nuclear weapons development in exchange for eased sanctions. Last month, he reversed his position, urging Iran in a letter to negotiate a new deal.
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei accused the U.S. of bullying and said Iran would not bow to American demands. French President Emmanuel Macron met with European leaders to discuss the threat of war, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warning that a military clash seemed “almost inevitable.”
Scott Roecker, vice president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, expressed optimism for diplomacy, noting that Iran often seeks negotiations when its regional power declines. “The diplomatic off-ramp is very much alive,” Roecker said, adding that Iran may use nuclear development as leverage rather than a genuine pursuit.
The 2015 UN Security Council resolution linked to the Iran nuclear deal allows France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, or China to reimpose sanctions on Iran if the deal is violated. This “snapback” option expires in October 2025.
Meanwhile, Trump’s attacks on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have intensified, with at least 27 airstrikes targeting Houthi positions since last month. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leaked messages revealed the use of F/A-18 planes, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and Tomahawk missiles in strikes launched from a Navy ship.
Trump vowed to continue attacks until the Houthis stop targeting ships in the Red Sea. “Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation,” he said in a Truth Social post on Monday.
Joseph Votel, a retired U.S. Army general, described the strikes as a “standard counterterrorism approach,” noting they were more geographically dispersed and intense than those under former President Joe Biden, who had focused on defensive measures.
Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said strikes targeted command and control centers, weapons manufacturing sites, and terrorist training facilities. The Houthis claimed their attacks were retaliation for Israel’s siege of Gaza, which resumed after a two-month ceasefire ended in mid-March.
