Something Going On?

Stratfor (subscription required) is reporting that three US carrier battle groups are on the way to the Middle East. The USS Harry Truman is already in the Persian Gulf; the USS Carl Vinson, which was supposed to return to the Western Pacific has turned around and is heading West; and the USS Theodore Roosevelt is on its way to the eastern Mediterranean. As Stratfor points out

Indeed, the air wings on each of these carriers are more powerful than most militaries in the region. Given the atrophied state of Syria's military, one of these air wings would be sufficient to eliminate Damascus' ability to project power in Lebanon. Similarly, one carrier air wing would be capable of causing significant damage to Iran's nuclear facilities.

And while military action is unlikely in the near-term, this certainly gives Assad and the Iranian mullahs something to think about.