The Nimitz will join the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group, which has sailed in the Arabian Sea since the spring. That aircraft carrier partnered with the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group to hit Houthi targets in Yemen and protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering U.S. military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three U.S. officials said.

The United States maintains several military assets and embassies across the Middle East, which Iran now considers legitimate targets for a counter-strike. "Task and Purpose" reports that the U.S. has two aircraft carriers, nine destroyers, and dozens of Air Force tankers deployed in the region.