The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has left Singapore after a three-day port visit and is heading toward the Middle East, where it will become the third American carrier in the region as President Donald Trump weighs whether to resume the war with Iran.
The carrier, which departed its home port of San Diego on September 27, was tracked sailing through the Strait of Malacca on Sunday. U.S. officials have said it is not expected to reach the area of U.S. Central Command before mid-November. There it will join the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington.
The Roosevelt strike group and the accompanying 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit carry about 10,000 personnel.
According to Fox News, CENTCOM is finalizing preparations for a possible resumption of major operations against Iran but has not yet received a new directive from Washington. Officials noted that November 9 marks a new moon, a condition considered favorable for military operations.
Trump has said he will “make a decision” on renewing the war. “I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to,” he said.
