The United States is positioning overwhelming firepower around Iran for possible post-midterm strikes. By late November, the force could include three carrier strike groups, two amphibious ready groups, 120 to 140 carrier-based aircraft, more than 4,000 Marines and hundreds of missile-launch cells aboard their escorts. Two carriers are already operating in the Arabian Sea. The George Washington and George H.W. Bush bring roughly 80 to 90 strike aircraft, electronic-warfare jets, surveillance aircraft and heavily armed escorts. The Boxer amphibious group adds around 2,200 Marines and the ability to conduct raids, evacuations and limited coastal operations. The Theodore Roosevelt left the United States on September 27 with another carrier air wing. The Makin Island amphibious group followed with more than 2,000 Marines. Their transit times point to arrival between late October and November. If all five groups overlap, the United States would gain enough firepower to intensify airstrikes, launch large Tomahawk salvos, suppress air defences and conduct limited raids. This is not an invasion force. Two Marine units cannot occupy Iran. Their role would be to widen Trump’s options around ports, islands, missile sites and the Strait of Hormuz while the carriers deliver sustained air power. The timing is the clearest signal. The full force would assemble after the November 3 midterm elections. Trump has rejected the Islamic Republic’s seven-day ceasefire proposal and publicly acknowledged that renewed large-scale bombing after the vote is possible. His administration has also sought to keep the war quieter before the election. One uncertainty remains. The Theodore Roosevelt was originally expected to replace the George Washington. If that rotation proceeds normally, the United States will retain two carriers rather than three. Keeping the George Washington would create a temporary three-carrier concentration and confirm that this is an escalation rather than routine relief. The other constraint is ammunition. More ships and aircraft increase how quickly the United States can strike, but they do not automatically replace depleted bombs, missiles and interceptors. The Islamic Republic could also retaliate against regional bases, Persian Gulf infrastructure and shipping. The Islamic Republic should not mistake those constraints for safety. The military calendar now aligns with Trump’s political calendar. The United States is maintaining pressure through the election while assembling the option for a much heavier campaign afterward. By late November, the question may no longer be whether the United States has enough forces to escalate. It will be whether Trump decides to unleash the firepower he deliberately positioned around Iran.