Pentagon sends USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group and Marines to West Asia

The Pentagon is deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to West Asia, with the carrier expected by late November, as President Trump reportedly considers intensifying strikes on Iran after the midterms. Two US carriers are currently in the region: the USS George H. W. Bush and the USS George Washington, which arrived in August. The new deployment may replace the latter, while the USS Boxer amphibious group with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit remains in the Arabian Sea, expanding military options. Iran has told Pakistan it will not resume US talks until Washington meets its demands, including lifting sanctions and ending port blockades. Pakistan is mediating, but a June interim peace agreement collapsed weeks later as fighting resumed.