Roughly a third of all active U.S. naval ships are now positioned across the broader Middle East region, according to The Washington Post, as Washington sharpens both deterrence and strike options against Tehran.

The naval posture is anchored by major carrier power: USS Abraham Lincoln has entered the Middle East region with its escorts, while the Pentagon has also directed USS Gerald R. Ford to move toward the theater as a second carrier group. In the Gulf, U.S. 5th Fleet assets include destroyers operating near the Strait of Hormuz and Bahrain-based littoral combat ships equipped for mine countermeasures.

The ship surge is part of a wider buildout that includes more than 150 U.S. aircraft shifting into Europe and the Middle East, with many positioned farther from Iranian missile reach while still able to support regional operations.

For Israel and other U.S. partners, the message is straightforward: Iran, and its Iran-backed proxies, are being warned off escalation, while the U.S. builds a layered force that can defend bases, protect key sea lanes, and rapidly scale strikes if ordered