WSJ: US sending third aircraft carrier to the Middle East

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US Defense Department is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, raising speculation of fresh attacks on Iran.

The newspaper on Thursday quoted US government officials as saying the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt left its base in San Diego in California on Sunday and is due to arrive in the Middle East by the end of November.

The newspaper also said the dispatch will add 9,000 to 10,000 troops to the region.

Two other aircraft carriers, the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington, are already in the Middle East. If the two carriers stay there, it will be the first time since April that three carrier strike groups have been deployed in the region.

But the Wall Street Journal says it is possible that the George Washington could leave the region and head back to its home port of Yokosuka in Japan.

US President Donald Trump said in a media interview published on Thursday that he could resume military attacks on Iran after the US midterm elections if there is no deal in place.

Observers argue that the president may be considering fresh attacks, because the presence of three carrier strike groups will bolster attack capabilities.