Hegseth Orders Third Carrier to Middle East

The United States is sending a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East. This move marks the latest addition to a growing military presence in the region. The deployment follows recent diplomatic and military planning sessions between Washington and Jerusalem.

According to a person briefed on the war planning, the United States and Israel are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the American midterm elections. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The timing of the deployment is calculated to allow President Trump to weigh military options after voters go to the polls on November 3.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that his country is ready for both diplomacy and war. The administration in Tehran is demanding formal control of the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region. Officials in Washington and Israel believe they possess the power to inflict heavy damage, but Iran has shown no sign of making major concessions.

Voting for the U.S. midterm elections is already well underway. Nearly 21 million Americans have cast ballots by mail or in person, according to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab. This total rose by about 2 million in a single day. Early voting in key battleground states is higher than during the last midterm cycle, though Democrats are currently voting at higher rates than Republicans.

In a separate legal development, a federal magistrate judge ruled that Donald Trump must sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC. The judge ordered Trump to comply with court rules or face sanctions. The suit centers on a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that allegedly edited his January 6 speech to make it seem he incited a violent siege of Congress.

The BBC is seeking details on Trump's state of mind during the speech and how he has profited since returning to the White House. The network's attorneys note that more than 200 defendants in January 6 cases have said the speech motivated them. Meanwhile, grocery costs remain a concern for voters. Ground beef reached $6.79 per pound last month, an 85% increase over the last decade, driven in part by energy prices tied to the conflict with Iran.