The Pentagon has reportedly ordered a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for potential deployment to the Middle East, signaling a possible escalation as tensions with Iran intensify.
According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited U.S. officials, President Donald Trump has not yet formally approved the deployment. However, an order could come “in a matter of hours.” One carrier based on the East Coast is being readied for sea within approximately two weeks.
The USS George H.W. Bush, currently conducting training exercises off the coast of Virginia, is widely viewed as a likely candidate. The Nimitz-class carrier is capable of launching F-35 stealth fighter jets — aircraft that analysts say would be central to any potential strike targeting hardened or strategic sites inside Iran.
If deployed, the Bush strike group would join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group already operating in the region. A second carrier presence would mark the first time multiple U.S. carrier strike groups have been positioned in the Middle East since the March 2025 operation against Houthi targets in Yemen.
President Trump has repeatedly warned Iran about its nuclear program and its handling of internal unrest. In recent weeks, he has referenced a “massive flotilla” or “big armada” heading toward the region. On Wednesday, Trump met at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Iran’s military posture and nuclear ambitions.
Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social that no final decision had been reached.
“I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a Deal can be consummated,” he wrote. “If it can, that will be a preference. If it cannot, we will just have to see what the outcome will be.”
The president also referenced a prior U.S. operation dubbed “Midnight Hammer,” suggesting that earlier military action did not produce the desired strategic outcome.
Israeli outlet i24News reported that Netanyahu presented intelligence during the meeting aimed at persuading the U.S. to consider targeting Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure if military action proceeds.
The White House and Pentagon have not publicly confirmed the deployment order. Still, preparations for a second carrier group underscore how rapidly diplomatic pressure could shift toward military posture.
