US Military Shifts Navy, Air Force Assets to Middle East

Trump says US “armada” is heading toward the Gulf, fuelling fears of a military escalation in the region.

A United States aircraft carrier strike group is moving toward the Gulf as tensions with Iran continue to rise.

The US military last carried out a significant buildup in the Middle East in June, just days before launching strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s 12-day conflict with Tehran.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump voiced support for antigovernment protesters in Iran. “Help is on its way,” he said as Iranian authorities moved to suppress the demonstrations. However, he softened his military rhetoric last week. The protests have since been crushed.

So which US military assets are heading to the Gulf, and is Washington preparing for another strike on Iran?

Why is the US moving warships?

On Thursday, Trump said a US “armada” was heading toward the Gulf region, with Iran as its main focus.

US officials confirmed that an aircraft carrier strike group and additional military assets are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.

“We’re watching Iran. We have a big force going towards Iran,” Trump said.

“And maybe we won’t have to use it. … We have a lot of ships going that direction. Just in case, we have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,” he added.

USS Abraham Lincoln

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln altered its course from the South China Sea more than a week ago to head toward the Middle East. Its strike group includes Arleigh Burke-class destroyers equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Iran.

The US vessels heading to the region are also fitted with the Aegis combat system, which provides air and missile defence against ballistic and cruise missile threats.

When Washington previously struck Iran’s nuclear facilities, US forces reportedly fired 30 Tomahawk missiles from submarines and conducted airstrikes using B-2 bombers.

Asked whether he wanted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down, Trump said: “I don’t want to get into that, but they know what we want. There is a lot of killing.”

Trump also repeated claims that his threats of military action prevented Iranian authorities from executing more than 800 protesters — a claim Tehran has denied.

A US official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, said additional air defence systems were being considered for deployment to the Middle East, a move seen as crucial to protecting US bases from a potential Iranian strike.

Iranian state media reported that the protests resulted in 3,117 deaths, including 2,427 civilians and members of the security forces.

How widespread is the US military presence in the Middle East?

The United States has maintained military bases across the Middle East for decades and currently stations between 40,000 and 50,000 troops in the region.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates military facilities — both permanent and temporary — at at least 19 locations throughout the Middle East.

Eight of these are permanent bases located in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The first US troop deployment to the Middle East took place in July 1958, when combat forces were sent to Beirut. At its peak, nearly 15,000 Marines and Army soldiers were stationed in Lebanon.

The current naval movement toward Iran was ordered despite the release of a new National Defense Strategy on Friday. Updated every four years, the document outlines a reduction of US forces in other regions to prioritise security in the Western Hemisphere.

How has Iran responded?

Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, who oversees coordination between Iran’s army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned that any military attack on Iran would make all US bases in the region “legitimate targets”.

Two days later, Revolutionary Guard commander General Mohammad Pakpour said Iran is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger”.

He cautioned the US and Israel against “any miscalculation”.

Earlier this month, Washington withdrew some personnel from its Middle East bases after Tehran threatened retaliation if US strikes were carried out on Iranian territory.

In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would “fire back with everything we have” if attacked.

“An all-out confrontation will be ferocious and last far longer than the fantasy timelines being sold to the White House by Israel and its allies,” he wrote.

Has air traffic stopped?

Air travel has not fully halted, but rising tensions have disrupted some flights.

Over the weekend, Air France cancelled two flights from Paris to Dubai, citing security concerns. The airline has since resumed service.

Luxair delayed a flight from Luxembourg to Dubai by 24 hours, citing regional airspace risks and similar measures taken by other airlines.

Dubai International Airport also reported cancellations of flights from Amsterdam operated by KLM and Transavia. Several KLM flights to Tel Aviv were cancelled on Friday and Saturday.

Did the US impose new sanctions on Iran?

Continuing its pressure campaign, the US imposed new sanctions on Friday targeting nine ships and their owners accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil in violation of existing sanctions.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures were imposed due to Iran’s “shutdown of internet access to conceal its abuses” during the protest crackdown.

“These sanctions target a key mechanism through which Iran funds repression of its own people,” Bessent said.

US officials said the sanctioned vessels — flying flags from Palau, Panama and other countries — are part of a “shadow fleet” used to smuggle sanctioned goods from Iran and Russia.

The protests, which began on December 28 after the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, intensified over the following two weeks.

On Friday, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning Iran over the deadly crackdown.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, repeated Tehran’s claim that 3,117 people were killed, alleging that 2,427 deaths were caused by “terrorists” supported by the US, Israel and their allies.

“It is ironic that countries with histories marked by genocide and war crimes now lecture Iran on human rights,” he said.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has confirmed at least 5,137 deaths and is investigating a further 12,904 cases.

US Military Shifts Navy, Air Force Assets to Middle East: What You Need to Know