President Donald Trump is weighing sending a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East if negotiations with Iran fail, Axios reported on Tuesday.
“Either we will make a deal, or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” Trump told the news outlet. He added that the U.S. has “an armada that is heading there and another one might be going.”
Should it move forward, the new strike group would join the USS Abraham Lincoln, which carries fighter jets, Tomahawk missiles, and multiple ships, in the Middle East. These forces were deployed following Trump’s threats of military action against Iran in response to its deadly crackdown on massive protests.
The Wall Street Journal said the carrier will likely come from the East Coast, with deployment expected within two weeks. Although the report did not name a specific ship, an official said the USS George H.W. Bush is currently conducting training exercises off the coast of Virginia and “could potentially expedite those exercises.”
Meanwhile, during a Wednesday meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. president said talks with Iran must continue but warned he could take action against Tehran if a nuclear deal is not reached.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting between the leaders had been “very good.”
“There was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated,” Trump said. “Last time Iran decided that they were better off not making a deal, and they were hit with Midnight Hammer — That did not work well for them. Hopefully this time, they will be more reasonable and responsible.”
Netanyahu’s office said the leaders had discussed “the security needs of the State of Israel in the context of the negotiations” and agreed to continue their “close coordination and relationship.”
