US sends third carrier strike group to Middle East in biggest buildup since 2003

The USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on Sunday accompanied by a Marine expeditionary unit of more than 2,000 troops, bringing the potential total US military presence in the region to more than 60,000. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group left San Diego on Sunday and is heading for the Middle East, adding to the two US aircraft carriers already operating against Iran in the biggest buildup in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to US officials. The Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier and flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9, departed without ceremony — no sailors manning the rails, according to ship-spotter photographs. It is accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin and destroyer squadrons, with Carrier Air Wing 11 embarked, including F-35C and F/A-18 Super Hornet jets, electronic warfare and early-warning aircraft. A day later, the amphibious ready group led by the USS Makin Island also sailed from San Diego, carrying the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit of more than 2,000 Marines aboard three ships including the USS John P Murtha and USS Anchorage. Citing US officials, AP estimated the combined deployment at 9,000 to 10,000 additional troops, with arrivals expected by the end of November. The US already has more than 50,000 military personnel in the Middle East. A US official told Al Jazeera that by the end of November, three carrier strike groups and two amphibious ready groups would be in place around Iran, adding that "leaders will have many options for dealing with Iran." The USS George HW Bush and USS George Washington are currently in the Arabian Sea conducting operations against Iran, according to the US Naval Institute's report from Tuesday. The Navy has maintained a two-carrier presence in the region since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on 28 February. The USS Boxer amphibious-ready group is also already in theatre. Theodore Roosevelt is scheduled to relieve USS George Washington, according to USNI News. Whether George Washington departs before or after USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives will determine whether the US briefly operates three carrier strike groups in the region simultaneously. If all three overlap, it would be only the second such deployment since April, which was itself the first time since 2003 the US had three carriers in the region at once. The Wall Street Journal reported that if USS George Washington remains on station until Theodore Roosevelt arrives, all three carrier groups would be in theatre together. Whether that represents a sustained increase in posture or a temporary overlap during rotation remains unclear. Trump has not ruled out a new round of strikes against Iran as the November midterm elections approach.