The United States is preparing to deploy a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East after President Donald Trump warned that failure to reach a nuclear deal with Iran would bring “very traumatic” consequences.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is already in the region, and reports say the USS Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships will also be deployed, significantly increasing U.S. military presence.
The warning comes amid rising tensions following Iran’s recent crackdown on protests and renewed nuclear negotiations held last week in Oman. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after meeting Trump that a deal may be possible, though concerns remain over Iran’s missile programme.
There is no clear sign the U.S. is seeking to remove Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but pressure over Iran’s nuclear ambitions is intensifying.
