The U.S. Navy has deployed the guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black to the Middle East within the past 48 hours, a U.S. official confirmed to Reuters on Thursday, bringing the total American naval presence in the region to at least ten warships. The deployment, first reported by CBS News, represents the latest escalation in what President Trump has characterized as a "massive armada" now positioned in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
The arrival of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer increases the destroyer count to six, operating alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and three littoral combat ships. The rapid military buildup comes as tensions with Iran reach critical levels, with Tehran's military reportedly on heightened alert and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating this week that Iranian forces are "ready with their fingers on the trigger."
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The USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) entered the CENTCOM region between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the anonymous U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing military operations. The destroyer's deployment follows a pattern of accelerated naval movements over the past three weeks, as Washington has steadily reinforced its Middle East posture.
The current naval concentration represents one of the largest American military buildups in the region in over a decade. Beyond the surface warships, the deployment includes the full complement of the Abraham Lincoln strike group—aircraft, submarines, and support vessels—creating a formidable power projection capability within striking distance of Iranian territory. The Pentagon has declined to provide specific operational details but confirmed the general increase in regional force levels.
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The deployment of the USS Delbert D. Black brings American naval power in the Middle East to levels unseen in recent years, creating a tactical environment where miscalculation carries significant risk. With both Washington and Tehran signaling readiness for confrontation while leaving diplomatic channels nominally open, the region now faces a critical window where the purpose of this military buildup—deterrence or preparation for action—will become clear through events rather than statements.
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