US Deploys Third Aircraft Carrier Toward Iran Amid Military and Diplomatic Standoff

The United States is directing a third aircraft carrier toward Iranian waters, a move that significantly escalates military pressure in the ongoing conflict. According to a US official speaking to Al Jazeera, the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group departed San Diego on Sunday, followed the next day by the Makin Island Marine Expeditionary Force, which transports over 2,000 Marines.

By late November, the region will host three aircraft carriers and two amphibious landing groups. This concentrated force aims to provide President Donald Trump with expanded options for military action. Correspondent Tanya Noury reported from Washington that the deployment adds thousands of troops and advanced F-35 fighter jets to the approximately 50,000 US service members already stationed in the area.

Pentagon and White House sources indicate the strategy is designed to keep military options viable regardless of diplomatic outcomes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the forces are prepared for immediate strikes if ordered by the president. Despite this show of force, Trump told Fox News he believes the US will “win the war” soon, while simultaneously suggesting he prefers to avoid further military action before the upcoming midterm elections.

In conjunction with the military buildup, Washington has imposed new economic sanctions on Iran’s rail and automotive conglomerates. The Treasury Department described these measures as an effort to deplete Tehran’s remaining revenue streams.

On the diplomatic front, Iran proposed a seven-day roadmap through Qatari intermediaries, offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear negotiations in exchange for lifting the naval blockade, sanction relief, and a ceasefire in Lebanon and Yemen. President Trump rejected the proposal. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated that demands for frozen funds and sanctions relief were non-negotiable, citing global sanctions and seven UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s response has presented conflicting signals. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC that Tehran is prepared to resume fighting, yet wrote on X that the delegation traveled to New York to seek peace, not war. Analysts suggest these mixed messages reflect a struggle over who will concede their primary leverage first.

Domestically, support for the conflict appears to be waning. A recent AP-NORC poll indicates that nearly 70 percent of Americans believe the war is not worth fighting. Trump has dismissed the declining approval ratings by labeling pollsters as corrupt.