U.S. deploys carrier strike group to Middle East amid Iran tensions and protest crackdowns.

The United States. is sending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which includes three destroyers and approximately 5,700 personnel, to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran. The move, part of a strategic pivot away from the Caribbean, comes after President Trump threatened military action if Iran carried out mass executions of protesters, which Iran denies. Additional assets include F-15E Strike Eagles and military cargo planes, and the United Kingdom has sent fighter jets to Qatar. The deployment strengthens the U.S. presence in the region, where protests against economic hardship have resulted in widespread crackdowns, with conflicting reports of casualties and arrests.