Sources cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath say signs are emerging of a possible diplomatic and military escalation between the United States and Iran, despite recent indications that US President Donald Trump had eased overt military threats against Tehran.
According to the reports, a US aircraft carrier is en route to the US Central Command area and is expected to arrive by the end of the week.
The Pentagon is also said to be preparing the deployment of additional air force squadrons to the region.
A US official told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath that sending an aircraft carrier to any region ‘always sends a message’, noting that such signals are interpreted differently by each side.
The presence of the carrier, together with its accompanying ships and aircraft, provides US political and military leaders with a range of strategic options, the official said.
Another US official linked such deployments to heightened risks and the need for Washington to be prepared to confront potential challenges.
In some cases, he added, these moves are intended to support presidential decision-making, similar to previous US actions in other regions.
Assessments in Washington suggest the president wants to address the Iranian issue and seek a solution within a limited timeframe.
Commenting on recent developments, former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro reacted to Trump’s remarks regarding Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Writing on the X platform, Shapiro said that Trump’s statements to Politico about the need for new leadership in Iran, combined with recent exchanges involving Khamenei, led him to believe that Trump ‘is going to try to kill the Supreme Leader’.
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