US prepares second aircraft carrier deployment to Middle East as Trump weighs military action against Iran.

The Pentagon has instructed a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for possible deployment to the Middle East as the White House evaluates military options toward Iran, but a final authorization has not yet been issued.

On February 11, 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon directed a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for possible deployment to the Middle East as President Donald Trump reviewed military options toward Iran. The most likely vessel is the USS George H.W. Bush, currently completing training off the U.S. East Coast and able to sail within roughly two weeks if directed. If deployed, it would place two U.S. Navy carrier strike groups in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility for the first time in nearly a year amid ongoing nuclear negotiations.
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The most likely second U.S. aircraft carrier intended for deployment near Iran is the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that has been completing training exercises off the coast of Virginia. (Picture source: U.S. Navy)

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Pentagon instructed a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for potential deployment to the Middle East as President Donald Trump evaluated military options against Iran in parallel with ongoing nuclear negotiations. U.S. officials stated that a deployment order could be issued within hours, while emphasizing that no final authorization had yet been signed and that plans could still change. If approved, the second carrier would join USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been operating in the U.S. Central Command area since January 26, 2026. The potential deployment would place two U.S. carrier strike groups in the region for the first time in nearly a year. This adjustment followed several weeks of reinforced naval, air, and missile defense deployments linked to tensions with Iran and contingency planning.

The most likely vessel for deployment is the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier that has been completing training exercises off the coast of Virginia. Officials indicated that the carrier could be ready to sail within approximately two weeks from the U.S. East Coast if ordered. Even with expedited preparations, transit to the Middle East would require crossing the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea and passing through the Suez Canal, placing the earliest arrival in theater no earlier than mid-March 2026. The U.S. Navy declined to comment on specific movements for operational security reasons. The carrier would join the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has already entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on January 26, 2026, after operating in the South China Sea, and expand available tactical airpower and defensive coverage in the region if negotiations with Iran collapse.

The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier measuring 333 meters in length and capable of speeds exceeding 56 km/h, entered the Middle East after departing San Diego in November 2025 and transiting through Guam and the South China Sea. The carrier operates with Carrier Air Wing 9, which includes F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters, F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, and MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters. The strike group includes destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance, and USS Michael Murphy, all Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers equipped with Aegis combat systems and capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and providing ballistic missile defense. The Lincoln’s presence ended a period without a U.S. carrier in the Central Command region following USS Gerald R. Ford’s redeployment to the Caribbean in mid-2025.

On February 3, 2026, a Marine Corps F-35C from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone after it approached USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command stated that the drone continued toward the carrier despite de escalation measures. No U.S. personnel were injured, and no equipment was damaged. The same day, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone attempted to stop and seize the U.S.-flagged tanker MT Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz. USS McFaul responded and escorted the vessel, while U.S. Air Force aircraft provided defensive support. On February 5, Iran announced the seizure of two foreign oil tankers near Farsi Island and transferred them to Bushehr, alleging fuel smuggling.

The present buildup follows the June 22, 2025, U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan during Operation Midnight Hammer, which involved 4,000 personnel and 125 aircraft. Fordow was struck with 12 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs delivered by seven B-2 bombers, Natanz was hit with two additional MOPs, and Isfahan was targeted with more than 24 Tomahawk missiles launched from a U.S. submarine. In February 2026, Iran publicly announced that some of the bombs did not explode and remained at nuclear facilities, therefore preventing IAEA inspections. Prior to those strikes, two carrier strike groups led by USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz were positioned in the Arabian Sea. Iran responded by launching missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, though no casualties were reported.

Additional U.S. naval forces in the broader region include USS McFaul and USS Mitscher operating in the Strait of Hormuz, USS Delbert D. Black in the Red Sea, USS Roosevelt and USS Bulkeley in the Mediterranean, and littoral combat ships USS Canberra, USS Tulsa, and USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf. Submarines are also deployed, but not publicly identified. The United States maintains more than 30,000 service members at bases across Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. Land-based air reinforcements include F-15E Strike Eagle fighters relocated from RAF Lakenheath to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, as well as additional F-35s. Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems have been moved into the region to counter potential Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

Diplomatic engagement has continued alongside military preparations. On February 6, 2026, U.S. and Iranian representatives held indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. The United States has demanded that Iran surrender its remaining 400 kg of enriched uranium, limit enrichment below 60 percent purity, halt nuclear weapons development, restrict its ballistic missile program, and end support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Iran has maintained that its missile program is non-negotiable and that it retains the right to uranium enrichment, while expressing conditional openness to negotiations tied to sanctions relief. Regional governments, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, have urged restraint, while Russia and China have called for diplomacy. Trump stated that he prefers a negotiated agreement but indicated that failure of talks could result in military action, leaving the decision on a second carrier deployment pending.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.