Trump told reporters Friday he’s dispatching the second carrier group in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement. It will now join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East region, expanding Trump’s options for a potential strike on Iran. “They want to make a deal, as they should want to make a deal,” Trump said last week. Days later, the Lincoln carrier was transiting the Arabian Sea about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when it shot down an Iranian drone. After completing talks, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner visited the Lincoln carrier.

Source: CNN February 13, 2026 19:39 UTC