The U.S. Department of Defense has directed preparations for the deployment of a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as concerns grow over a potential attack on Iran. Iranian President claims he is willing to accept nuclear inspections but will not abandon ballistic missile development or support for proxy forces. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Defense is readying this deployment within two weeks, implying the dispatch will involve fleets currently training off the East Coast, with the USS George W.H. Bush reportedly among them. This marks the first time since last March, when two aircraft carriers were deployed for combat against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, that the U.S. will have two carriers in the region.