U.S. military buildup near Iran raises tensions, questions of war as diplomacy continues
Caroline MolloyThe U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in the Persian Gulf in recent weeks, deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group Feb. 13 and reportedly sending another 50 fighters Feb. 18. The buildup comes as President Donald Trump continues to warn Iran that it must abandon its nuclear program or risk military action.
According to a Feb. 18 Axios report, more than 150 U.S. military cargo flights have transported weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East. The expanding U.S. military presence there now includes two aircraft carriers, roughly a dozen warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defense systems.
Trump ordered the second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the region shortly after a Feb. 11 White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The carrier, previously stationed in the Caribbean, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group already in place, according to FOX News.
After his closed-door meeting with Netanyahu, Trump told reporters that Iran and the U.S. “have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic.” When asked about a timeline for an agreement, he said, “I guess over the next month.”
Trump has repeatedly clashed with Iranian leaders, warning in recent weeks that Iran must permanently renounce nuclear weapons to avoid military conflict with the U.S. In early January, he said the U.S. could intervene if the Iranian regime began killing anti-government protestors, though by Jan. 14 he suggested a pause on threats to strike. Weeks later, Trump warned Jan. 28 that a “massive Armada” of U.S. forces was en route to the country and called for negotiations. As Zeale News previously reported, Iranian officials have said they would respond forcefully to any military aggression.
The U.S. has already demonstrated a willingness to strike. In June 2025, U.S. forces targeted three Iranian nuclear sites following Israeli-led strikes aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear weapons development programs. Addressing the nation afterward, Trump called the operation a “spectacular military success,” saying it put “a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s No. 1 state sponsor of terror.”
