With a second aircraft carrier deployment, Trump raises the stakes with Iran Today World News

Asked if he wants regime change in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday (February 13, 2026) that it “would be the best thing that could happen”. Mr. Trump, who last month threatened to strike Iran if Iran killed protesters, confirmed that a second aircraft carrier is “going out shortly” to West Asia. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Mr. Trump said. “In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time. So, let’s see what happens.”

The U.S. has already deployed USS Abraham Lincoln to the Arabian Sea, some 500 km off Iran’s Persian Gulf coast. On Friday (February 13, 2026), officials told U.S. media that the second carrier going to the region would be USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. Ford is currently in the Caribbean where it was deployed before Mr. Trump’s January 3 attack on Venezuela and the abduction of its President, Nicolas Maduro. The last time West Asian waters had two aircraft carriers was in June 2025 when the U.S. joined Israel to bomb Iran during the 12-day war.

Mr. Trump’s decision to send a second carrier to West Asia came close on the heels of his meeting, in Washington, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu, who was scheduled to travel to the U.S. later this month, moved up his trip after the U.S. held talks with Iran in Muscat, Oman, on February 6. While there was no breakthrough in the talks, both sides agreed to continue the discussion.

Talking points

Mr. Trump, who initially said he would strike Iran over its crackdown on protests, later switched his focus to Iran’s nuclear programme, which he claimed to have “obliterated” in the June strike. Recently, he has repeatedly warned that Iran would face “profound consequences” if it did not agree to a deal with the U.S. Tehran says it is ready to talk about its nuclear programme, but only about the nuclear programme. Israel, on the other hand, has demanded that any deal between the U.S. and Iran should also address the latter’s ballistic missile capability and its support for militia groups in the region such as Hamas, Houthis and Hezbollah.

While diplomats are set to continue talks, the U.S. is building a warlike military presence in the region. Besides the Lincoln strike group with its air wing including F/A-18E Super Hornets, F-35C Lightning Iis and EA-18G Growlers, the Pentagon has also sent guided missile destroyers and combat ships to the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Mediterranean. It has also moved some 35 F-15E Strike Eagles to the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, tanker aircraft to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, besides A-10 and MQ-9 drones and electronic warfare aircraft. The U.S. has also deployed additional THAAD and Patriot systems to protect its bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

The U.S. has some 50,000 troops across at least 19 bases in the region. The number of troops is expected to go up by another 5,000 once Ford reaches West Asia’s waters.

Iran’s response

Iran has said that it is ready for “fair and equitable” talks, but would not accept coercion. President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran is not seeking to build a nuclear bomb and that it is ready to open the country up for verification. But while keeping the door open for a diplomatic solution, Iran says its fingers remain “on the trigger”. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has carried out a live drill in the Persian Gulf in recent weeks. On February 11, the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian government also mobilised huge crowds across the country to counter the Western narrative that it lacks public support. Iran’s top security officials say even a limited U.S. strike could trigger an all-out regional war.

The U.S. is ramping up military pressure on Iran to extract maximum concessions as part of a potential deal. Iran has pushed back against sweeping demands from the U.S. and Israel, warning that any attack would be costly. While Mr. Trump, who appears wary of getting drawn into prolonged conflicts, may prefer swift result-oriented military action if diplomacy fails, Iran’s doctrine is not built around quick victory but around denying victory to its adversary. The situation remains tense and complex. Mr. Trump wants a deal on his terms and has threatened to use force if he doesn’t get it. Iran, which was bombed in June 2025 while still engaged in talks with the U.S., seeks a deal that respects its red lines, and has warned that any new attack could trigger a wider war. Israel is watching closely to see how events unfold next.