US President Donald Trump has stated that the United States is sending a “massive fleet” of naval forces toward Iran. His statement comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group approaches the waters of the Middle East.
“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we will see. We are watching them very closely. We have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see," Trump said.
A US military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets will arrive in the Middle East region in the coming days, two US officials said, even as President Trump voiced hopes of avoiding new military action against Iran https://t.co/qo213LVP2I pic.twitter.com/d6vytIZ1iB
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 23, 2026
Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is now in the Indian Ocean, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone on Thursday. This is in addition to more cargo jets and aerial refueling tankers that have arrived in the region.
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There were reports that the US was deploying F-15E Strike Eagles, accompanied by KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling jets, from RAF Lakenheath in the UK. These F-15Es are a staple in the Middle East and were instrumental in defending against the cruise missiles shot by Iran at Israel. The US was also reportedly sending additional Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to the Middle East for increased protection from any Iranian attack, The Wall Street Journal reported.
‼️‼️🇺🇲 The United States has significantly expanded its military presence in the Middle East, surpassing force levels seen in previous Gulf and Iraq wars. In the last 36 hours, twelve C-17 cargo aircraft have been positioned around Iran, alongside a broad deployment of air,… pic.twitter.com/mmP737lgAA
— The Battlefield (@TTheBattlefield) January 22, 2026
That said, many are unsure about the exact composition of U.S. forces that are already there and whether the US can effectively intervene in Iran if things go wrong. According to reports, the US has deployed three Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and a submarine, but there is still only a limited number of fighter aircraft at several bases.
Available satellite images also show no major influx of U.S. airpower. Low-resolution satellite imagery observed by The War Zone showed no large deployments to Diego Garcia, the Indian Ocean island where U.S. bombers have previously been staged amid rising tensions with Iran.
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The War Zone claims these are still not adequate enough for a major operation though significant additions to the standing force posture in the region. “We have not seen evidence of those kinds of movements just yet, although some movements are not identified via open sources,” it added.
However, the UK is also sending tactical combat jets to the region. “The Royal Air Force’s joint Typhoon squadron with Qatar, 12 Squadron, has deployed to the Gulf for defensive purposes, noting regional tensions as part of the UK-Qatar Defence Assurance Agreement, demonstrating the strong and enduring defence relationship between the U.K. and Qatar,” the U.K. Defense Ministry (MoD) announced on Thursday.
“12 Squadron has regularly deployed to Qatar to conduct joint training and share experiences which enhance national and regional security,” the MoD added. “Recently, the RAF deployed on exercises such as EPIC SKIES and SOARING FALCON – further reinforcing the operational capability between our two nations.”
