The United States is deploying a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, US media outlets reported.

According to reports, the USS George H.W. Bush has begun sailing toward the region with its carrier strike group, including three guided-missile destroyers.

The group is expected to reach the eastern Mediterranean within 10 to 12 days, joining the USS Gerald R. Ford, which is now in the Red Sea.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently stationed in the Arabian Sea.

The move highlights Washington’s expectation that the war with Iran could last weeks or even longer.

(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)