The United States has deployed three aircraft carriers in the Middle East for the first time in 23 years following the arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush, according to U.S. Central Command. The last comparable concentration of U.S. military assets in the region's waters occurred in the lead-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"For the first time in decades, three aircraft carriers are operating in the Middle East at the same time," Central Command said. The carriers are accompanied by 12 ships, more than 200 aircraft and 15,000 soldiers, also according to Central Command.

The other two carriers in the region are the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world. The USS George H.W. Bush joins those two carriers following its arrival in the region, Central Command said. The last time the U.S. amassed that amount of military assets in the region was in 2003, prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.