LePage breaks with Trump on Iran, Canada tariffs, immigration in Maine House debate
Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) split with the Trump administration on key issues — including the Iran war, tariffs and immigration — during a Thursday debate in the open U.S. House race in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. LePage, the GOP nominee, who is running against Matt Dunlap (D), the state auditor, previously criticized...
The US military is reportedly planning to increase its naval forces in the Middle East, according to a Washington Post report. Three aircraft carriers and escort ships may be deployed to the region, according to the Pentagon's intentions, aiming to enhance flexibility in overseeing the war, the report adds. President Donald Trump's administration is deliberating on the next steps regarding the ongoing Iran war, which has entered its eighth month and has sparked discontent among the American public, as well as economic instability, the WP notes.
The deployment would also involve 20,000 additional troops, up to 150 fighter jets, and numerous destroyers capable of launching and defending against missile attacks, the report cites. The USS George Washington, which was previously deployed to the Arabian Sea, the USS George H.W. Bush, currently in the Indian Ocean, and the USS Theodore Roosevelt, among other carriers, are under consideration for the deployment, the Wall Street Journal reportedly revealed.
The Roosevelt, recently moved to San Diego, will have to navigate across the Pacific Ocean, the WP adds. These plans come as Trump contemplates the possibility of renewing strikes on Iran following the November midterm elections, per anonymous US officials quoted by the WP. Currently, around 50,000 US troops are stationed in the Middle East, the report cites.
The Navy has recently dispatched the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, a three-ship task force comprising Marines and sailors from California, while the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, a similar unit, has been stationed in the Middle East for months, the report adds. If Trump opts against escalating the conflict with Iran, the recently dispatched vessels would likely be replaced by those already present for months, the WP suggests according to officials.
The conflict has posed challenges for the Pentagon, with troop morale declining and ships necessitating increased maintenance, the report states. The war has inflicted a financial burden on the US, costing billions of dollars, and has resulted in over 800 wounded troops and at least 19 fatalities.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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