By order of the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier strike group of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) — the second such group — has already departed Norfolk and is heading toward the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, dozens of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft began flying from Europe to British Base Akritori on Cyprus.
NATO is moving aircraft to the region.
German, French, and British troops have been spotted deploying Eurofighter aircraft towards the Akrotiri base in Cyprus and the Mafraq Al-Sultan airbase in Jordan.
Despite America denying its intention to bomb Iran, NATO's aerial movements suggest otherwise.
This is the publicly available FlightRadar24 / ADSB aircraft tracking website from yesterday, showing an air convoy of Eurofighter Jets flying from Europe to Cyprus as part of the massive buildup:
Clearly, this is an utterly massive military buildup taking place.
With Iran firmly in Washington’s crosshairs, analysts say the expanding carrier presence indicates that any potential strike has been paused for now, not canceled, as the U.S. positions forces for rapid escalation if regional tensions intensify.
With high probability, the George H.W. Bush will transit the Red Sea and deploy in the Arabian Sea alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which is expected to arrive in the region within one week.
In another sign of coming military action, four US Air Force C-17 cargo planes heading to Diego Garcia at the same time. This is not normal activity.
That is very unusual. Four US Air Force C-17 cargo planes heading to Diego Garcia at the same time is not normal activity. The base is mainly used to store weapons and equipment before major operations. Three flights from Ramstein and one from the US show a coordinated military… pic.twitter.com/XTYobGPEbG
— OSINT_PK (@osintPk) January 16, 2026
The base is mainly used to store weapons and equipment before major operations. Three flights from Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany and one from the US show a coordinated military movement, not routine logistics, and C-17s are typically used for troops, heavy cargo, or munitions.
Thus, amid expectations of potential military strikes against Iran, the U.S. Navy will be represented in the region by at least two carrier strike groups, including Arleigh Burke–class destroyers and Ohio/Virginia-class nuclear submarines.
As reported in other media, an additional (Third) aircraft carrier strike group may also be deployed closer to the Persian Gulf: The USS Theodore Roosevelt.
Whatever the plans are for Iran, it seems clear that the airstrikes that were put "on-hold" by President Trump earlier this week, are simply being delayed to allow for a much more robust strike, soon.
