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A satellite image from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites captured the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its escorts approaching the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as they headed north into the Persian Gulf.
Former U.S. Central Command chief General Joseph Votel described a “significant” increase in U.S. military posture over the past year during an interview with Newsweek. Newsweek has reached out to CENTCOM for additional comments.
### Why It Matters
The return of the Carrier Strike Group to the region highlights active U.S. naval involvement in the Middle East, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and hopes for renewed nuclear talks. The ongoing military buildup reflects concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, proxy conflicts, and threats to allies. This also underscores a cautious, transactional U.S. strategy in the region.
The imagery shows the USS Nimitz pierside at the port of Khalifa bin Salman in Bahrain, taken by ESA’s Sentinel-2 satellites on August 11, 2025.
### What To Know
Carrier Strike Group 11, led by the USS Nimitz, approached the strategic Strait of Hormuz during a northbound transit into the Persian Gulf. The aircraft carrier was escorted by guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee. The strike group arrived in Bahrain on Sunday for its first port visit since 2020.
The USS Nimitz last operated in the Persian Gulf nearly a year ago, deploying to the Gulf of Oman in July. It was rerouted to the Middle East in June as Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day military conflict during which the U.S. bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Since then, Tehran has remained defiant despite diplomatic setbacks.
Votel, CENTCOM’s chief from 2016 to 2019, told Newsweek that “Israeli military action against Iran, and our efforts to purge the nuclear weapons program, have had a very significant impact. They are down but not out.” CENTCOM played a pivotal role in Operation Midnight Hammer, which included launching over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site.
Iran’s coalition of proxy groups has suffered severe blows after intervening in support of the Palestinian Hamas movement following its October 2023 attack. However, the Yemeni Houthis have continued their attacks undeterred by U.S. military action, although they did not intervene during the Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran.
According to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, the Houthis have prompted notable U.S. military expansion, evident in the deployment of three aircraft carrier strike groups led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, USS Carl Vinson, and USS Harry S Truman, with the latter’s deployment extended in March to support intensified strikes on the Houthis.
U.S. troop levels in the Middle East have increased significantly, rising from around 35,000 to nearly 50,000 by late 2024—a scale not seen since the early Trump administration—alongside a sharp rise in naval and air deployments.
### What People Are Saying
General Joseph Votel, former CENTCOM Chief, told Newsweek: “While this was a very serious situation for Iran, we cannot assume they will stop pursuing nuclear weapons or other capabilities. It’s not completely destroyed, and Iran has not taken a different path. We must remain concerned.”
The U.S. Navy stated in a Tuesday statement: “The U.S. Navy continues to deliver sea control and power projection, and remains committed to regional maritime security, freedom of navigation, our partners, and forward presence. The NIMCSG consists of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Nimitz, CVW 17, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9.”
### What Happens Next
The U.S. military must keep pace with the tech-savvy military innovations of its Iranian-backed adversaries, according to Votel.
