Iran War Imminent?

U.S. Naval armada heading towards Iran

As we write, the arrival of new U.S. warships will mark the largest build-up of Naval forces in the Gulf since the 1991 Gulf War.

The aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and the? USS Ronald Reagan, along with the USS Iwo Jima, an Amphibious Assault Ship are sailing toward the Persian Gulf to reinforce the US strike forces in the region, along with a British Royal Navy carrier battle group and a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine.

This move follows the ominous Operation Brimstone, a massive military exercise involving more than a dozen warships from the US, England, and France in the Atlantic Ocean in preparation for a possible confrontation with Iran.

The USS Roosevelt, which participated in the just-concluded exercise, and the USS Ronald Reagan will join two US naval battle groups in the area:? the USS Abraham Lincoln with its Carrier Strike Group Nine ; and the USS Peleliu, and Amphibious Assault Ship with its expeditionary strike group.

Naval forces now heading towards the Gulf include:

Carrier Strike Group Nine:

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) nuclear powered carrier with its Carrier Air Wing Two

Destroyer Squadron Nine:

USS Mobile Bay (CG53) guided missile cruiser; USS Russell (DDG59) guided missile destroyer; USS Momsen (DDG92) guided missile destroyer; USS Shoup (DDG86) guided missile destroyer; USS Ford (FFG54) guided missile frigate; USS Ingraham (FFG61) guided missile frigate; USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG60) guided missile frigate; USS Curts (FFG38) guided missile frigate

Plus one or more nuclear hunter-killer submarines

Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group:

USS Peleliu (LHA-5) a Tarawa-class amphibious assault carrier; USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) assult ship; USS Dubuque (LPD8) assult ship/landing dock; USS Cape St. George (CG71) guided missile cruiser; USS Halsey (DDG97) guided missile destroyer; USS Benfold (DDG65) guided missile destroyer

Carrier Strike Group Two:

USS Theodore Roosevelt (DVN71) nuclear powered carrier with its Carrier Air Wing Eight

Destroyer Squadron 22:

USS Monterey (CG61) guided missile cruiser; USS Mason (DDG87) guided missile destroyer; USS Nitze (DDG94) guided missile destroyer; USS Sullivans (DDG68) guided missile destroyer; USS Springfield (SSN761) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine;

IWO ESG ~ Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group

USS Iwo Jima (LHD7) amphibious assault carrier with its Amphibious Squadron Four; and with its 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit; USS San Antonio (LPD17) assault ship; USS Velia Gulf (CG72) guided missile cruiser; USS Ramage (DDG61) guided missile destroyer; USS Carter Hall (LSD50) assault ship; USS Roosevelt (DDG80) guided missile destroyer; USS Hartfore (SSN768) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine;

Carrier Strike Group 7:

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) nuclear powered carrier with its Carrier Air Wing 14;

Destroyer Squadron 7:

USS Chancellorsville (CG62) guided missile cruiser; USS Howard (DDG83) guided missile destroyer; USS Gridley (DDG101) guided missile destroyer; USS Decatur (DDG73) guided missile destroyer; USS Thach (FFG43) guided missile frigate; USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) fast combat support ship.

This massive deployment means that hundreds of nuclear-armed warplanes, thousands of troops, and destroyers capable of launching cruise missiles carrying nuclear weapons, bunker busters, or fragmentation bombs will be available for a strike on Iran. While Russia is bogged down with the crisis in Georgia, and China is occupied with the Olympics, the Bush Administration may believe that this is an opportune time to strike.

This massive deployment is occurring as both Houses of Congress are set to approve resolutions that would mandate a U.S. blockade (which is an act of war under international law).

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