The US routinely deploys carriers to the Gulf as a show of force intended to deter Iran. DoD recently varied carrier presence in a bid to be operationally unpredictable & chances are this deployment has been long-planned. WH message is piggybacking on planned ops to make a point. https://t.co/2hyM5ISEAg

— Becca Wasser (@becca_wasser) May 6, 2019