Senior IRGC adviser says US power in Middle East 'not as portrayed'

A senior adviser to the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stated that the US withdrawal from Iraq indicates a decline in Washington's power in the region. According to Middle East Eye, Mohammad Reza Naqdi said that the US power is "not as it is portrayed".

The US has reportedly deployed a third aircraft carrier to the region, which could bring the total number of carriers to three by the end of October, as reported by Live Mint. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS George H.W. Bush, and USS George Washington carriers, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group, are currently in or heading to the region.

US President Donald Trump had said that increased military strikes against Iran were possible after the midterm elections, as reported by Japan Times and FXStreet. However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on unit schedules for operational security reasons, according to FXStreet.

Brief written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye, Japan Times, CNBC World, Live Mint, FXStreet — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.