US Army Secretary Refuses to Say if USS Theodore Roosevelt Will Replace Carrier in Middle East

What happened: US Army Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to say whether the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt will replace one of the two US carriers currently in the Middle East or join them, saying he would not answer that question. Attribution and details: Hegseth made the remarks to reporters in Colorado Springs when asked whether the Roosevelt would replace one of the two carriers in the region or add a third. He said, "The question is fair, but I will not answer it," and added, "All I can say is my duty is to provide the commander in chief the broadest range of options." Sources: Iran International; Didban Iran; Khabaronline; Khabarfoori. Quoted exchanges retained: Reporters asked multiple times whether the Roosevelt would substitute for an existing carrier or whether three carriers would be present in US Central Command; Hegseth repeated that he would not answer and said, "The president will have options," before ending the discussion.