US Deploys USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Toward Middle East as Trump Weighs Post-Midterm Iran Action

The United States is sending the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, adding thousands of troops to an already large American naval presence in the region as President Donald Trump weighs whether to intensify strikes on Iran after the November midterm elections.

The nuclear-powered carrier departed San Diego on Sunday, Sept. 27, carrying between 9,000 and 10,000 service members, the Wall Street Journal reported. The strike group is expected to reach the region in November. The Financial Times reports that, according to a U.S. official, the wider deployment includes seven additional warships and about 9,000 troops in total, with the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit also heading toward the region.

Naval analysts expect the carrier to relieve the Japan-based USS George Washington, which has been operating alongside the USS George H.W. Bush, although a U.S. official told the Financial Times the Theodore Roosevelt could also operate alongside both vessels, which would keep up to three carrier strike groups available near the Gulf.

Navy leaders have told families to prepare for a deployment of about eight months, and the Roosevelt left San Diego without the traditional ceremony of sailors manning the rails. The New York Post reports that the Navy has acknowledged that eight sailors aboard the record-setting USS Abraham Lincoln, which the Washington relieved in August, attempted suicide during its long deployment.

The buildup sustains U.S. naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea as diplomacy with Iran continues and a possible interim deal over shipping access remains under discussion.

Sources:

• New York Post (citing Wall Street Journal reporting)
• Financial Times, via Traders Union — seven additional warships and about 9,000 troops
• Army Recognition — Roosevelt expected to relieve USS George Washington