WASHINGTON, Unites States (US): The US is preparing to deploy a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East for a possible attack on Iran, Sputnik/RIA Novosti reported, citing the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
According to the report, US officials said that an order for the deployment could be issued in the coming hours, adding that a final decision has not yet been made and plans could change.
According to the newspaper, a carrier could be deployed within two weeks, likely from the US East Coast.
The ‘USS George HW Bush’, currently completing training drills off the coast of Virginia, could accelerate those exercises in preparation for deployment, the sources added.
On Jan 26, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group had been deployed to the Middle East to support regional security and stability.
In an interview with Axios on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he is considering the possibility of deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East in preparation for a possible failure of negotiations with Iran.
The US president also said he expects a second round of negotiations with Iran to take place next week.
Last month, Trump stated that a “massive armada” was heading toward Iran and expressed hope that Tehran would agree to negotiate a fair and equitable deal involving the complete disarmament of its nuclear weapons.
Trump warned that if no agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme was reached, any future US strike on the country would be “far worse” than the previous ones. – BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI
