U.S. Sends Carrier Group to Gulf as Iran Warns Any Strike Means 'Total War'

Overview

• President Trump said a large U.S. force is heading to monitor Iran, confirming the redeployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group from the South China Sea.
• An IRGC commander warned of miscalculations with forces "finger on the trigger," and another general said U.S. interests and bases would become legitimate targets if Iran is struck.
• An Iranian official told Reuters the military is on maximum alert and would treat any U.S. action—limited or otherwise—as total war with the harshest response.
• U.S. posture expanded with ten KC-135 refueling tankers moving toward Middle East bases and Patriot and THAAD defenses prepared, while some regional facilities were partially emptied and citizens were urged to leave Iran.
• Advisers are refining options for the president, from strikes on IRGC sites to broader plans, and Reuters reports the U.S. warned Iraqi leaders of possible sanctions if Iran-aligned armed groups join the next government.