US sends third aircraft carrier strike group and 10,000 more personnel toward Persian Gulf
Iran says a blockade of its southern ports has cut its imports by 25 per cent.
Published
Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
The US has sent a third aircraft carrier strike group and 10,000 more personnel toward the Persian Gulf. A carrier strike group is a naval task force built around an aircraft carrier. The move comes as Iran prepares for possible retaliation.
Trump pledged there would be no strikes on Iran before November 3. Israel's Kan reported that Trump directed CENTCOM to draft an Iran strike plan with no deadline. Trump has hinted at a further operation against Iran.
Talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz have stalled. Tehran wants the blockade lifted first. Iran says it has stopped illicit vessel traffic in the strait. Trump says flows through the strait now exceed pre-conflict levels. A US envoy said Washington is ready for a long standoff with Iran. Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act, a law that lets the government direct industry, to boost petroleum and refining capacity.
The buildup follows a run of tanker strikes, mine incidents and a confirmed attack on Iran's Konark base. It lands after oil futures posted their sharpest weekly drop in months. Iran's negotiators still dispute whether US terms on the strait were honored, and officials insist on their own conditions before any reopening. Escalation risks are rising after the US midterms on November 3 and the Israeli election. That leaves room for renewed disruption to Gulf shipping and a reversal of the recent fall in the risk premium built into crude oil prices.
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