Overview
- Multiple U.S. outlets report the carrier strike group left the South China Sea for the Middle East, though the Pentagon has not confirmed the move.
- Reporting indicates the transit could take roughly a week to as long as ten days before the group reaches the region.
- U.S. officials frame the move as a deterrent intended to prevent executions of detained protesters, with UN envoy Mike Waltz warning that all options remain on the table.
- The White House says roughly 800 planned executions were canceled, and the Treasury announced new sanctions on Iranian security officials this week.
- Allies have urged caution, with reports saying some Arab states and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu pressed Washington to hold off on a strike.