Amid surging tensions with Tehran, the Pentagon has told a second US aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for possible deployment to the Middle East, a move officials say is meant to keep military options open if talks with Iran collapse. The USS George H.W. Bush is being readied on the US East Coast to potentially join the USS Abraham Lincoln already near Iran, which would mark the first dual‑carrier posture against the country in nearly a year and sharply raise the level of pressure on Iranian forces. The reported buildup comes days after Iran showcased its Fattah, Zolfaghar and Kheibar Shekan missiles live on state TV.