America is preparing to mobilize 20,000 additional troops in the Middle East

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The Pentagon is preparing for the possibility of sending thousands of Navy soldiers to the Middle East in the coming weeks, as US President Donald Trump considers resuming military strikes against Iran after the midterm congressional elections, according to US officials.

American officials said, on Thursday, that the military plans aim to give President Trump and military leaders more flexibility in managing the war, by sending up to three aircraft carriers and their accompanying ships to the region during next November, noting that these movements are still within the framework of planning, and no final decision has been taken regarding their implementation, according to the American newspaper The Washington Post.

Together, the three aircraft carrier groups are expected to include about 20,000 soldiers and up to 150 combat aircraft, in addition to a large number of destroyers capable of launching missiles and countering missile attacks.

About 50,000 American soldiers are currently deployed in the Middle East, according to American officials.

According to officials, the aircraft carriers being considered for sending include the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, which was present in the Arabian Sea on Thursday, and the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush, which is currently in the Indian Ocean, in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which left San Diego in recent days and is expected to cross the Pacific Ocean on its way to the region.

The Wall Street Journal had previously revealed plans to deploy the three aircraft carriers, while officials explained that the naval movements coincide with the US Navy sending an amphibious combat group that includes three ships, known as the “Makin Island” group, from the state of California, with the possibility of it joining the “Boxer” amphibious group that has been deployed in the Middle East for months.

Each group includes more than 4,000 sailors and Marines.

In an interview published by Time magazine on Thursday, Trump said that it was "possible" that he would expand the scope of the bombing of Iran after the midterm elections, indicating the continuation of the military options before his administration.

Trump had launched the war in coordination with Israel on February 28, before the confrontations witnessed a temporary halt during the summer, coinciding with negotiations between Washington and Tehran to reach a permanent peace agreement.

However, the talks later collapsed, and the two sides continued to exchange sporadic attacks.

On the other hand, the deployment of new ships may not be a prelude to expanding the war, as officials have indicated the possibility of using them to replace naval forces that have spent months at sea, especially if Trump decides not to expand the scope of the conflict again.

The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush departed from Virginia in March, while the aircraft carrier USS George Washington left its main port in Japan in May and arrived in the Middle East in August.

As for the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, it was in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, on its way back to San Diego after a long deployment in the Middle East, during which it faced complaints regarding living conditions and limited stops at ports.

The "Makin Island" group is also expected to replace the "Boxer" group, which includes the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Pendleton, California, which has been deployed to the region since March.