According to a report by Fox News, the United States Navy is preparing to deploy a third carrier strike group to the Middle East in the coming weeks amid tensions with Iran.

The USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) and its carrier strike group have completed their Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and are expected to depart from Naval Station Norfolk before the end of March for a regularly scheduled deployment to the United States Fifth Fleet area of responsibility.

However, due to ongoing hostilities with Iran, it remains unclear whether the carrier will replace the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78)—which entered the Red Sea on Thursday and has been deployed for nearly 11 months—or arrive as additional reinforcement for U.S. naval forces in the region.