The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is now rushing to the Middle East and a snap deployment of tankers has landed at bases across the Atlantic.

The U.S. Navy is sending the supercarrier USS Nimitz and the rest of its strike group to the Middle East amid a new buildup of forces in the region ostensibly for defensive purposes, U.S. officials have told TWZ. Overnight, dozens of U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers had already been tracked heading east over the Atlantic Ocean. That has prompted speculation about the potential start of a major contingency operation, possibly around a shift in U.S. policy toward the ongoing Israel-Iran war, as you can read about in more detail here.

U.S. air, naval, and ground forces have already been aiding in the defense of Israel since the start of the current hostilities last week. Readers can first get up to speed on the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran in our reporting here.

Though currently sailing in the Western Pacific, “the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is heading to the Middle East without delay,” a U.S. official told TWZ. The U.S. official added that this is a scheduled deployment to replace the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group, which is currently on station in the Middle East. However, they would not say when Vinson might now be expected to leave the region.

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