The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that more than 20 US Navy warships are now patrolling Middle Eastern waters following an exchange of military strikes between the US and Iran. This massive naval deployment follows close-range patrols in the Gulf of Oman designed to demonstrate American firepower and support regional stability. The strategic build-up comes amid escalating tensions in the critical Strait of Hormuz checkpoint. Tensions peaked after US President Donald Trump declared at the NATO Summit in Ankara, “The ceasefire with Iran is over for me. I no longer want to deal with them.”