A U.S. official has reported that the USS Nimitz carrier strike group is en route to the Middle East from the South China Sea. 

Originally slated to replace the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group, which has been deployed for several months, the Nimitz strike group is now heading to the region earlier than planned. As a result, both carrier strike groups will be present in the Middle East simultaneously. 

As of last Friday, the USS Carl Vinson was the only aircraft carrier in the area, according to U.S. defense officials. 

The USS Nimitz, which was commissioned on May 3, 1975, is the oldest active aircraft carrier. This deployment may be its last, as it is scheduled for decommissioning in 2026. The deployment holds historical significance because the Nimitz was involved in the 1980 Operation Eagle Claw, the failed U.S. attempt to rescue American hostages in Tehran. The U.S. has maintained a shadow war against Iran since then. 

Reports indicate that the USS Nimitz departed the South China Sea on Monday morning, heading west. Citing data from Marine Traffic, noted that the carrier had been scheduled to attend a formal reception in Danang City, , on June 20. 

However, the reception has been canceled. 

A source stated that the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi cited “an emergent operational requirement” as the reason for the cancellation. 

The United States is reallocating military resources, including ships, to the Middle East due to Israel’s preemptive strikes on and Iran’s retaliatory actions, which have persisted for four days. 

U.S. officials have confirmed that American air defense systems and a Navy destroyer assisted Israel in intercepting ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Friday.

The U.S. maintains both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems in the Middle East, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.

Additionally, U.S. officials stated that the Navy destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, equipped for ballistic missile defense, has begun moving from the western Mediterranean Sea towards the eastern Mediterranean. Another destroyer has also been repositioned to be available if needed.

According to one official, the Navy could potentially deploy assets such as the Nimitz, which was in the Indo-Pacific, and the USS George Washington, which had recently departed its port in Japan, to the Middle East if directed. 

American fighter jets are also conducting patrols in the Middle East to safeguard personnel and facilities, and air bases in the region are implementing heightened security measures, officials added.

One U.S. official told The Associated Press that troop levels in the Middle East are currently around 40,000, up from the typical 30,000. This number peaked at 43,000 last October amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran and continued attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists, former President Joe Biden initially deployed ships to protect Israel, a close U.S. ally. This move was perceived as a deterrent against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran.

On Oct. 1, 2024, U.S. Navy destroyers launched approximately a dozen interceptors to defend Israel against an attack involving over 200 missiles fired by Iran.

“`