US Surges Middle East Troops and Carrier Groups as Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes

The Pentagon is deploying up to 10,000 additional troops and a third aircraft-carrier strike group to the Middle East as President Donald Trump considers resuming or intensifying strikes against Iran after midterm elections. The buildup includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group arriving by late November. It follows the administration's rejection of an Iranian seven-day truce proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting seaport blockades. The seven-month conflict has exceeded $25 billion in U.S. military expenditures and continues disrupting vital oil transit routes.