Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered additional forces to the Middle East, including the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group and aircraft, as the U.S. vows to continue its strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels and as tensions with Tehran are increasing over its nuclear program.
The Carl Vinson will arrive in the region after completing exercises in the Indo-Pacific. The department is also prolonging the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group’s deployment in the region, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Tuesday. The unusual two-carrier presence repeats a show of force by the Biden administration last year.
"Secretary Hegseth continues to make clear that, should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people,” Parnell said.
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