The Pentagon sent an aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf after violent militants made a rapid and aggressive push toward to the capital of Iraq, with the aim of destabilizing the volatile region. The USS George H.W. Bush is joined by a guided-missile cruiser and a destroyer, all three of which completed their journey to the Gulf yesterday, according to Reuters.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a militant group inspired by Al-Qaeda, made a rapid push through northern Iraq last week—capturing American supplied weaponry in the process—en route to the capital of Baghdad. Attempts to take over the Iraqi capital apparently fizzled, but only after militias took to the front lines to protect the city. Counter-offenses have not quelled the uprising, as ISIS published photos of mass killings on Twitter earlier today.

READ MORE: Obama Deliberates Action In Iraq, McCain Cringes

The naval support indicates Washington plans to keep military options on the table in case the situation in Iraq spirals completely out of control, but Obama reiterated to the press on Friday that America "will not be sending U.S. troops back into combat in Iraq."

You can read more at the Washington Post and Reuters.

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