President Donald Trump said the war with Iran will end "right after the election" or sooner, as roughly 9,000 US sailors and Marines head to the Middle East aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and USS Makin Island amphibious group. Trump is also considering renewed strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections if no agreement is reached.

The Roosevelt left San Diego on September 27, followed by the Makin Island group the next day. The forces will arrive by the end of November, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials. The ships carry more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines, the Associated Press reported.

The deployments could temporarily put three carrier strike groups and two amphibious groups in the region, but a sustained increase has not been decided. US officials told the Washington Post that the Roosevelt could overlap with the USS George Washington and USS George H.W. Bush or replace an existing carrier. The Makin Island group could similarly overlap with or replace the USS Boxer group.