Greg Myhre

Iran says it's prepared to retaliate if attacked by the U.S.

or Israel.

Greg Myhre, NPR News, Washington.

President Trump has confirmed a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is going from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.

And each carrier usually has somewhere around 75 planes aboard.

So this is becoming a very large force with a concentration of planes and ships that can carry out airstrikes.

We should note there's no buildup of U.S.

ground troops anywhere in the region.

These pieces are all still moving into place, but it's well beyond what's needed for leverage against Iran.

President Trump has confirmed a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is going from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, and each carrier usually has somewhere around 75 planes aboard.

So this is becoming a very large force with a concentration of planes and ships that can carry out airstrikes.

We should note there's no buildup of U.S.

ground troops anywhere in the region.

These pieces are all still moving into place, but it's well beyond what's needed for leverage against Iran.

The Pentagon isn't talking about the U.S.

military buildup.

But flight tracking groups on social media say the U.S.

is moving around 50 more fighter jets to countries near Iran.

And President Trump has confirmed a second aircraft carrier is on the way.

Trump is intentionally vague about what he wants to achieve.