USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, accompanying warships are deploying to Middle East: WSJ

WASHINGTON -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its accompanying warships are deploying to the Middle East, a move that could increase the number of US aircraft carriers to three in the region for the foreseeable future, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday, citing US officials.

The aircraft carrier departed Naval Station Norfolk in the US state of Virginia on Tuesday, according to a US Navy press release.

It could take the carrier weeks to reach the Middle East region, said the WSJ report. The carrier is expected to join the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike groups in the Middle East.

The Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea, and the Ford is at port in Croatia for repairs, two of the officials were quoted as saying.

The deployment comes as Washington weighs further military options in Iran, and as more US forces flow into the region, said the report, noting that a Marine expeditionary unit embarked on amphibious warships entered Middle Eastern waters over the weekend.

However, US President Donald Trump has told aides that he's willing to end the US-Israeli war with Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, the WSJ reported Monday, also citing US administration officials.

Trump and his aides recently assessed that a mission to pry open the strait would push the war with Iran beyond his timeline of four to six weeks, said the report.

The United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran on Feb 28, disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring and shaking the global economy.