How the US is reacting to what it sees as a threat from Iran
The Trump administration accelerated the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East and announced the deployment of bombers and other military assets in response to what it said were Iranian threats to the U.S. and its allies. Tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic have been rising since Trump took office, highlighted by the administration's decision last year to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers and to reinstate sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy. Here's a look at where the escalating crisis stands: