US military assets head to Middle East, Trump backs off toughest Iran rhetoric

A U.S. military aircraft carrier strike group and other assets will arrive in the Middle East region in the coming days, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, even as U.S. President Donald Trump voices hopes of avoiding new military action against Iran.



U.S. warships including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, several destroyers and fighter aircraft started moving from the Asia-Pacific last week as tensions between Iran and the United States soared following a severe crackdown on protests across Iran in recent months.



One of the officials said additional air defense systems were also being eyed for the Middle East. The United States often increases U.S. troop levels in the Middle East at moments of heightened regional tensions, something that experts note can be entirely defensive in nature.



However, the U.S. military staged a major buildup last summer ahead of its June strikes against Iran's nuclear program, and later boasted about how it kept its intention to strike a secret.