The US has announced its decision to increase its military presence in the Middle East by sending a second aircraft carrier, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive. An official from the US, speaking to the Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity, stated that the US plans to have two aircraft carriers in the region next month, as it intensifies attacks against the Houthis in Yemen. The official revealed that Hegseth ordered the deployment of the “USS Carl Vinson” warship currently operating in the Pacific Ocean towards the Middle East, and signed the order on Thursday to keep the “USS Harry S. Truman” warship, currently on duty in the Red Sea, in the Middle East for at least another month. The report emphasized that having two US aircraft carriers in the region simultaneously would also send a “clear deterrent message” to Iran, which supports the Houthis. President Donald Trump, in a statement on Truth Social on March 19, stated that the Houthis would be “completely destroyed” by US airstrikes and warned Iran to immediately stop providing them with military equipment. This marks the second time in the last 6 months that the US has tasked two aircraft carriers in this region simultaneously, with the “Vinson” expected to reach its destination in early next month. The “USS Harry S. Truman,” continuing its operations against the Houthis in the Red Sea, was originally planned to depart towards Norfolk, Virginia by the end of March.