"Third US Aircraft Carrier Dispatched to Iran to Arrive Soon with 6,000 Troops"

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The USS George H.W. Bush, the third aircraft carrier dispatched by the United States to Iran, is expected to arrive in the Middle East soon. The carrier strike group, which has thousands of troops, is scheduled to be deployed around the 21st, when the ceasefire period between the United States and Iran ends. This move is interpreted as preparation for possible special and ground operations in the event that negotiations with Iran break down.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on April 15 (local time), the Bush carrier group reached the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa the previous day and is expected to arrive in the Middle East soon. WP reported that 6,000 troops are currently aboard the carrier group. The Bush strike group departed from the Norfolk base in Virginia, on the U.S. mainland, on March 31 and is traveling to the Middle East via a detour around the southern tip of Africa. It is known that the group chose this alternate route, instead of the usual Mediterranean and Red Sea passage, because the standard route is currently at risk of attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Iran.

Along with the Bush carrier group, the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, carrying about 4,200 troops from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is also expected to arrive in the Middle East around the end of this month. WP reported that these troops will converge in the Middle East around April 21, when the ceasefire period between the United States and Iran ends. If all of these forces arrive, the number of U.S. troops deployed for operations against Iran is expected to increase from the current 50,000 to more than 60,000.

The troop buildup, which is taking place as preparations are underway for a second round of talks with Iran, is seen as a military option in case the ceasefire negotiations fail. James Foggo, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, explained to WP, "With more assets, you have more options," and added, "They are deploying additional reserve forces to prepare for a possible escalation."

Within and outside the U.S. military, if talks with Iran break down, discussions are underway regarding special operations to remove highly enriched uranium from inside Iran, operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and amphibious operations to seize Kharg Island, a key oil export route for Iran.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is preparing for a second peace negotiation with Iran. The first round of talks, which was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on April 11, ended in failure, and it is currently expected that the two sides will proceed with the second round of negotiations sometime this week or next week.

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