Washington, United States. The Pentagon is sending the aircraft carrier Gerald R Ford from the Caribbean to the Middle East, US officials said on Friday, a move that would place two US carriers in the region amid rising tensions with Iran.
Carrier deployment and timeline
The Gerald R Ford, described as the United States’ newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and took part in operations in Venezuela earlier this year. One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the carrier would take at least a week to reach the Middle East.
Forces in the Middle East
The Gerald R Ford will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier, along with several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks.
Trump comments on rationale
Asked why a second aircraft carrier was headed to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it… if we need it, we’ll have it ready.” Trump said earlier in the week that he was considering sending a second carrier if a deal is not reached with Iran. On Friday, he told reporters he thought talks with Iran would be successful but warned that “if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for Iran.”
Previous dual-carrier presence and resource constraints
The United States most recently had two aircraft carriers in the area last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June. With 11 aircraft carriers in the US military’s arsenal, carriers are a scarce resource and their schedules are usually set well in advance.
US Southern Command statement
In a statement, US Southern Command, which oversees US military operations in Latin America, said it would continue to stay focused on countering “illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere.”
What impact do you think the deployment of a second US aircraft carrier could have on talks between the United States and Iran?
