US dispatches second aircraft carrier toward Middle East as Israel-Iran strikes escalate
The Nimitz is leaving the Asia-Pacific region and is expected to pass into the Middle East as Israel awaits a decision from Trump on whether or not to strike Iran's Fordow nuclear facility
WASHINGTON — A US aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Nimitz left the South China Sea and headed toward the Middle East as the US military has moved to defend Israel from retaliatory waves of Iranian ballistic missile attacks, defense officials confirmed Monday.
The Nimitz is expected to cross paths with the USS Carl Vinson strike group, which is already in the Gulf region with its three destroyers and a cruiser.
US Air Force mid-air refueling tankers also headed to Europe in anticipation of potential further guidance from the White House, a defense official confirmed to Al-Monitor.
The official said all of the deployments are designed to bolster the defenses available to US troops in the region. Protecting them remains the Pentagon’s top priority at this time, the official said.
