US sends USS Theodore Roosevelt and 9,000 troops to Middle East

The United States is deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and roughly 9,000 additional troops to the Middle East. The major build-up of naval and ground forces comes as President Donald Trump openly weighs launching military strikes against Iran.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the incoming force consists of more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines. They are travelling aboard a flotilla of warships that includes the Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group.

Their arrival, scheduled for the end of October, will double down on an already massive American military presence. The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington carrier groups are already operating in the region, alongside the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group.

Once the Theodore Roosevelt arrives, the Pentagon will have three active aircraft carrier strike groups stationed in the Middle East at the same time. The surge will push the total US naval personnel in the area to well over 20,000 sailors and Marines, backed by hundreds of combat aircraft.

Rhetoric and warnings rise

The deployment of such significant firepower coincides with a sharp escalation in rhetoric from the White House. Speaking to reporters, Trump warned that Iran would face a devastating response if investigators confirm that Tehran was behind the recent Flydubai incident, though he did not offer specific details of what that investigation has uncovered so far.

"Oh they'll be hit, very hard, don't worry," Trump said when asked about potential retaliation. "You just ask them. They know what happened. They'll be hit very hard."

Alongside the military preparations, Washington is also tightening its economic squeeze on Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions under a campaign the administration has named "Operation Economic Outcast".

Bessent said the measures are aimed at dismantling Iran’s remaining industrial infrastructure, specifically targeting its rail and automotive conglomerates. The US Treasury Department claims these sectors have been co-opted by the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fund military operations abroad. Bessent wrote on X that the goal is to "drain the regime's revenue once and for all."

Wider regional instability

The massive naval movement comes amid a highly volatile security situation across the wider region. Late on Thursday, loud explosions were reported in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, a stronghold of the pro-Iranian Houthi movement. While the cause of the blasts remains unconfirmed, a news agency aligned with the Houthi forces blamed "Saudi aggression" for the explosions.

It is not yet clear how long the three carrier strike groups will remain deployed together in the Middle East, or whether their arrival signals that a decision on military strikes is imminent.