For weeks, the U.S. military has quietly amassed what President Donald Trump has described as an ‘armada’ in Iran’s backyard. Mapped out across the Persian Gulf and beyond, the deployment tells its own story — one of calculated pressure backed by credible capability.
The latest signal of escalation is the movement of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford, and its strike group from the Caribbean toward the Middle East.
The buildup coincides with indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Trump has warned that the regime must fully dismantle its nuclear infrastructure — or face consequences.
At the heart of America’s force projection is another carrier strike group: USS Abraham Lincoln — a mobile fortress at sea, guarded by destroyers and equipped to unleash precision strikes at a moment’s notice. On deck, F-35 fighters and F/A-18 attack aircraft sit within range of dozens of key Iranian military and nuclear targets.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Mediterranean, destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Roosevelt provide additional strike capability and missile defense coverage — and could potentially assist Israel in defending against any Iranian counterattack.
Farther south, in the Red Sea, USS Delbert B. Black adds another layer of firepower along one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. The Red Sea links the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, a corridor that carries a significant share of global trade and energy supplies.
A U.S. destroyer there not only protects commercial traffic but also gives Washington the flexibility to respond quickly to threats moving between the Middle East and Europe.
Even closer to Iran’s coastline, in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, USS McFaul and USS Mitscher are operating in one of the most strategically sensitive waterways on the planet. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz each day. Their presence signals that the U.S. can both defend that vital choke point and, if necessary, strike Iranian targets from close range.
Beyond naval forces, U.S. air power is spread across multiple Middle Eastern bases, giving commanders the ability to strike, defend and sustain operations quickly.
Several types of combat aircraft are operating from regional bases, including F-15s, F-16s and the radar-evading F-35. The A-10 specializes in close-air support missions against armored threats.
Those fighters are backed by a network of support aircraft. KC-135 and KC-46 tankers refuel jets midair, allowing them to fly farther and stay aloft longer. EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft can jam enemy radar and communications. E-3 Sentry aircraft serve as airborne command centers, tracking threats across wide areas. P-8 Poseidon planes patrol and monitor maritime activity.
Additionally, heavy transports — including C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster aircraft — move troops and equipment, while MQ-9 Reaper drones provide surveillance and can carry precision weapons. The assets give U.S. commanders flexibility to operate across air, sea and land.
Taken together, the air and naval deployments create overlapping strike capability, missile defense coverage and control over major maritime routes. For Iran, it means U.S. forces are not concentrated in a single vulnerable location — they are distributed, layered and positioned to operate from multiple directions at once.