New aircraft carrier, 10,000 American troops: is the war in Iran about to intensify? | US-Israeli war against Iran

The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier strike group to Middle East waters near Iran, a US official told Al Jazeera, as the war enters its eighth month and both sides mull escalation and diplomatic engagement.

Thousands of additional troops are also on their way to the region, just a month before the US midterm elections in November, which could see US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party hit hard by his handling of the war, which is deeply unpopular in the United States.

We examine what the latest troop deployment means and whether it signals an upcoming escalation in the war against Iran:

What troops and military equipment have been deployed?

A US official told Al Jazeera that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group left its San Diego base for the region on Sunday, followed a day later by the Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which is carrying more than 2,000 Marines.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the strike group and naval deployments could involve an additional 9,000 to 10,000 U.S. troops in total, including sailors and Marines assigned to the strike group on aircraft carriers and other ships.

By the end of November, the official said, three aircraft carriers and two amphibious landing groups will be positioned near Iran.

The official said the concentration of forces would give President Donald Trump a broader menu of options if he decides to act.

Al Jazeera’s Tanya Noury, reporting from Washington, said the new deployment, which includes F-35 fighter jets, would add to the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel already stationed in the region.

The goal, Noury ​​said, citing sources at the Pentagon and White House, is to keep military options “on the table” for Trump, regardless of how diplomacy plays out. The Pentagon is not currently considering withdrawing assets, even if a deal with Iran is reached.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said forces were “ready to go” if Trump ordered further attacks.

What forces does the United States already have in the Middle East?

The United States has stationed troops and military assets at bases in the Middle East for decades.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States operates from a vast network of military sites, both permanent and temporary, spread across at least 19 locations across the region.

Of these, eight are permanent bases located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The first deployment of American soldiers to the Middle East occurred in July 1958, when combat troops were sent to Beirut during the Lebanon Crisis. At its peak, there were nearly 15,000 Marines and soldiers in Lebanon.

As of mid-2025, 40,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops were stationed in the Middle East, including personnel stationed at both large permanent bases and smaller forward sites across the region.

Trump has increased the US military presence in the Middle East since the beginning of this year, initially sending warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to the Arabian Sea.

What military assets and troops did the United States send before the war?

According to open source intelligence analysts and military flight tracking data, the United States has deployed more than 120 aircraft to the region since early February. This is the largest increase in US air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War.

Reported deployments include E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, F-35 stealth fighters and F-22 air superiority aircraft alongside F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. Flight tracking data showed many of those planes departing from bases in the United States and Europe, supported by cargo planes and aerial tankers, a sign of sustained operational planning rather than routine rotations, military analysts said.

In March, the Pentagon also ordered the deployment of additional US forces to the Gulf.

The reinforcements consisted of three separate formations, each with a different origin, route, and timeline.

The first was the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group, centered around the American-class assault ship USS Tripoli and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

The second was the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, built around the Wasp-class assault ship USS Boxer and the 11th MEU, based in southern California in the United States.

Together, these two groups of Marines added 4,500 Marines and sailors to the region.

The third was a contingent of about 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Airborne Infantry Division focuses on parachute assaults.

In total, nearly 7,000 additional troops have already been deployed to the Middle East since the start of the war against Iran.

What does the latest deployment signal?

Although it is unclear whether the new troop deployment signals an escalation of the war, in an interview with Time magazine published Thursday, Trump suggested it was “possible” he would step up his bombing of Iran after the midterm elections.

Asked by Time for more details, Trump responded: “I can’t tell you because look, you know, you ask, where are you going to bomb? »

Some analysts have suggested that sending more troops to the region could be Washington’s negotiating technique with Iran.

Last week, Iran sent a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, subject to certain conditions it wants the United States to meet, including lifting sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ensuring an end to strikes.

However, the Trump administration rejected this proposal. Analysts say the United States wants other issues, such as Iran’s nuclear program, to be discussed before agreeing to any terms.

In his Time interview, Trump said he rejected Iran’s latest ceasefire proposal because it included “things” he “wouldn’t have approved of a year ago” and “wouldn’t have approved of today.”

Washington has linked the show of force toward Iran with economic pressure, sanctioning Iranian rail and auto conglomerates this week, while the Treasury Department characterized the new measures as an effort to drain what remains of Tehran’s revenue. Last month, the United States unveiled sweeping new sanctions against Iran, as well as other countries that trade with it.

Where are the diplomatic efforts?

Indirect peace talks conducted between the United States and Iran through mediators continue without any progress.

During discussions held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York last month and mediated by Qatar, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz remained a thorny subject.

During the negotiations, Iran proposed a seven-day road map, forwarded by Qatar, that would allow it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations in exchange for an end to the US naval blockade, sanctions relief and a regional ceasefire covering Lebanon and Yemen.

The project was rejected by Trump.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told NBC that demands to freeze funds and ease sanctions were non-negotiable, emphasizing that “these are not just U.S. sanctions…these are global sanctions,” and pointing to seven U.N. Security Council resolutions against an Iranian nuclear weapons program.

In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC that Tehran was “fully prepared” to resume war, before writing on X that “we did not come to New York to sell a war.” We came to forge peace.”

On Thursday evening, Trump warned Iran that the current confrontation would end “very soon,” threatening serious consequences if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington.

Speaking at a Peterbilt Motors plant in Denton, Texas, Trump said Iran would “do something very appropriate and smart, or they won’t be there very long.”

He also questioned whether Iran could be trusted to honor a deal, saying: “When I make a deal with this company, you’re going to honor it. When you make a deal with them, it’s very possible they won’t honor it.”