Washington, Feb 12 (NationPress) The Pentagon is set to dispatch a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East within two weeks, as tensions between the US and Iran escalate, according to a prominent US news source.

The carrier is anticipated to originate from the US East Coast. Officials have indicated that the USS George H.W. Bush is currently finishing a series of training maneuvers off the coast of Virginia, which could be accelerated, as reported by the Xinhua news agency and The Wall Street Journal.

Nevertheless, US President Donald Trump has not yet issued a formal order for this deployment, and the plan may be subject to change, the report suggests.

If the command is given, this second carrier would join the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already in the area. This situation would mark the first instance of two carriers operating in the region since March 2025, when the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson were both deployed to confront Houthi forces in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Tehran and Washington engaged in indirect discussions in the Omani capital of Muscat last Friday. These negotiations occur in the context of rising tensions following the US military buildup near Iran. This was the first dialogue since the US conducted airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities in June of last year.

On Tuesday, Trump stated he was weighing the option of deploying a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East for potential military actions against Iran should negotiations falter.

Additionally, Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to discuss Iran and the situation in Gaza. The US President described their meeting as “very productive.”

“I just concluded a meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and several of his representatives. It was a very positive meeting, reinforcing the strong ties between our two nations,” Trump remarked on Wednesday (local time).

This meeting marked Netanyahu’s fifth visit to the White House since Trump began his second term.

While Trump noted that no conclusive decisions have been reached, he emphasized the importance of continuing diplomacy with Tehran.

“Nothing definitive was decided, other than my insistence that negotiations with Iran continue to explore the possibility of a deal. If a deal can be reached, I made it clear to the Prime Minister that it would be our preference. If not, we will have to see how things unfold.”

Reflecting on past disputes, Trump added, “Previously, Iran opted not to pursue a deal and faced severe consequences. Hopefully, this time they will act more sensibly.”