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USS Nimitz heading to Middle East, defense official says
The U.S. Navy is moving the aircraft carrier Nimitz from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East as regional tensions continue to boil between Israel and Iran, a defense official confirmed to Navy Times.
The carrier, previously conducting routine operations in the South China Sea, made its way through the Strait of Malacca to begin its deployment in the Middle East over the weekend.
The official said the move is not in direct response to escalating tensions in the area — with Israel and Iran exchanging missile fire since an Israeli strike on June 13 — and comes amid a scheduled deployment to replace the Carl Vinson Strike Group, which is currently seven months into its deployment and ready to rotate out.
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-navy/2025/06/16/uss-nimitz-heading-to-middle-east-defense-official-says/
Near Total Internet Blackout In Iran As Israel Has Control Of Skies
President Donald Trump on Wednesday fielded reporters' questions on the Iran crisis, but refused to answer whether the US military will directly enter the war, amid Israeli requests that the Pentagon assist in striking Iran's nuclear facilities.
"There's a big difference between now and a week ago," Trump told reporters outside the White House, and added curiously: "Nobody knows what I'm going to do."
He indicated that the Iranians had reached out but he feels "it's very late to be talking." But he also threw out the possibility: "We may meet. It's, I don't know, there's a big difference between now and a week ago," he said on the White House lawn.
"I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate. And I say, 'Why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?'"
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-says-iran-reached-out-its-very-late-be-talking
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink goes on Space Warfighting Immersion Tour
Published May 30, 2025
Space Operations Command Public Affairs
PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) –
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink visited with Space Operation Command (SpOC) at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, May 28, 2025, for a firsthand look at the Space Force’s operational capabilities and integrated mission support.
During the visit, Guardians and Airmen from various units within SpOC demonstrated their combat readiness and warrior ethos, providing Meink with in-depth briefings on several core mission areas. These included Space Domain Awareness; Electromagnetic Warfare; Missile Warning; Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting; Orbital Warfare; and Positioning, Navigation and Timing. The tour also highlighted the vital support functions delivered by U.S. Air Force personnel in sustaining joint space operations.
Meink’s engagement underscored the Department of the Air Force’s commitment to advancing space superiority and ensuring strategic integration across all domains.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4202016/secretary-of-the-air-force-troy-meink-goes-on-space-warfighting-immersion-tour/
US troops, bases in Middle East could be targets in conflict with Iran
If President Donald Trump opts to launch military strikes against Iran, hostile forces in the region likely won’t be able to launch direct attacks against the U.S. homeland. But American military targets in the region will face significant dangers.
During questioning from senators Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said officials are providing a number of possible options regarding Iran to Trump, while also focusing on the safety of American forces.
“We have maximum force protection in the region at all times being maintained,” Hegseth stated.
Even with recent withdrawals of U.S. troops and personnel from the region, significant assets remain. About 40,000 active-duty troops and Defense Department civilians are currently deployed in the Middle East, according to the Pentagon.
Hegseth last week authorized the “voluntary departure” of all military dependents in the region, in anticipation of potential threats.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/06/18/us-troops-bases-in-middle-east-could-be-targets-in-conflict-with-iran/