Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Feb 14: US President Donald Trump has said that a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen” as his administration weighs possible military action against Tehran.
Speaking to reporters after visiting troops in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, Mr Trump confirmed that the United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier group to West Asia amid rising tensions with Iran.
“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Mr Trump said when asked about pressing for the ouster of Iran’s Islamic clerical leadership. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.”
The US President announced that the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is being moved from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East. It will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its guided-missile destroyers, which have been stationed in the region for over two weeks.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Mr Trump said, referring to the second carrier. “It’ll be leaving very soon.”
The move comes days after Mr Trump suggested that another round of talks with Iran was possible. Indirect negotiations were recently held in Oman, but no agreement materialised. Tehran has maintained that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, though prior to the June conflict it had enriched uranium to 60 per cent purity, close to weapons-grade levels.
Mr Trump warned that failure to reach an agreement would be “very traumatic” for Iran. “I think they’ll be successful. And if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for Iran, very bad,” he said on February 13.
The stepped-up military posture has drawn concern from Gulf Arab nations, which fear any attack could trigger a broader regional conflict, with West Asia already strained by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Ford strike group will bring more than 5,000 additional troops to the region, effectively doubling the aircraft and munitions available to US military planners.
The deployment marks a swift redeployment for the Ford, which had been sent to the Caribbean in October during operations linked to the capture of then Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Its return to West Asia appears to contrast with the administration’s stated national security strategy emphasising the Western Hemisphere.
Responding to concerns, US Southern Command said forces in Latin America would continue to counter illicit activities and malign actors, even as force posture evolves.
The extended deployment could strain naval operations. Navy’s top officer Adm. Daryl Caudle recently noted that deployments beyond the usual six to seven months are “highly disruptive” to personnel and complicate maintenance schedules. The Ford, which first set sail in June 2025, is nearing eight months at sea.
As tensions simmer, Mr Trump also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has urged Washington to press Iran to curb its ballistic missile programme and support for groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any future deal.