US SENDS THIRD AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO MIDDLE EAST

US Central Command has confirmed that a third US aircraft carrier is heading to the Middle East amid the war with Iran. US officials said the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit would reach the region in November. Donald Trump told a Kansas City radio station on Friday: “It's going to get wrapped up soon. We need a guarantee there'll never be a nuclear weapon.” US Central Command described the deployment as the largest US naval surge in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is due to operate alongside the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington. The USS George H.W. Bush deployed in April. The USS George Washington arrived in August and replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln. The expected arrival date for the USS Theodore Roosevelt ranges from mid to late November.

The war began in February, and Trump has repeatedly said during appearances ahead of the US midterm elections that it would end soon. Trump also rescheduled several rallies planned for the weekend following his Friday remarks. JD Vance cancelled a Friday press briefing in Minnesota. Officials gave no reason for that cancellation.