U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to escalate the U.S. military buildup surrounding Iran if Tehran doesn’t agree to the deal he is demanding. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,” Trump told Axios on Feb. 10, adding that he’s “thinking” about sending another aircraft carrier strike group. A U.S. official confirmed that there had indeed been discussions about sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
But Trump also expressed optimism about the diplomatic path, claiming Iran “wants to make a deal very badly” and is engaging much more seriously than during previous talks due to the military threat.
Not reported by Axios is that for Trump, “diplomacy” means squeezing the other side until they can no longer stand the pain. How else to explain sending two real estate tycoons and a military commander to negotiate with Iran, last week?
Meanwhile, evidence keeps surfacing of an ongoing U.S. military airlift into the region. Open-source aviation data shows multiple U.S. military aircraft operating along established corridors from Western and Central Europe through Southeastern Europe and Türkiye, before heading toward destinations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Azer News reported from Baku on Feb. 10. The flights, conducted by aircraft using U.S. military call signs, suggest ongoing logistical operations rather than isolated movements.
While the Pentagon has not issued detailed public statements on individual flights, analysts say that airlift operations of this scale typically indicate the movement of time-sensitive or high-priority military cargo, underscoring the strategic importance the region continues to hold for U.S. defense planning.Feb. 11, 2026 (EIRNS)—U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to escalate the U.S. military buildup surrounding Iran if Tehran doesn’t agree to the deal he is demanding. “We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,” Trump told Axios on Feb. 10, adding that he’s “thinking” about sending another aircraft carrier strike group. A U.S. official confirmed that there had indeed been discussions about sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the region.
