[UPDATE] Navy plans to keep 2 carrier groups near Iran at least through 2026

The Navy plans to keep 2 carrier groups near Iran at least through 2026. The administration calls the war all but over, but the deployment keeps the option to escalate after the midterms.

PREVIOUSLY

Feb. 28 — U.S. and Israel began striking Iran, killing 18 Americans, wounding 750-plus and shutting Hormuz to normal traffic.
Aug. 18 — Trump threatened to bomb Oman, the ally brokering talks, and sanction Tehran's backers after a 60-day truce expired, Hormuz traffic 85% below normal.
Aug. 31 — U.S. forces destroyed 2 rocket launchers on Larak Island, killing 2; Iran fired 8 missiles at Jordan, all intercepted, pushing Brent above $90.
Sep. 1 — U.S. hit about 100 Iranian targets, killing at least 18 Iranians, 5 at a wedding; Iran struck U.S. bases in 4 countries.
Sep. 5 — Iran fired ballistic missiles at a U.S. carrier and destroyer; U.S. forces destroyed or disabled 3 Iranian oil tankers, killing no one.
Sep. 7 — Iran claimed to hit and seize unmanned U.S. vessels and threatened preemptive strikes in a Hormuz restricted zone; CENTCOM denied the claims.
USS Theodore Roosevelt is leaving San Diego to relieve the USS George Washington.
The Army extended 82nd Airborne elements in the region for operational requirements.
The USS Abraham Lincoln crew spent 264 consecutive days at sea during its deployment.