WASHINGTON: The world’s largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East, a person familiar with the plans said on Thursday (Feb 12), as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran.
The move by the USS Gerald R Ford, first reported by The New York Times, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.
It marks a quick turnaround for the USS Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration built up a huge military presence in the lead-up to the surprise raid last month that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
It also appears to be at odds with Trump’s national security strategy, which put an emphasis on the Western Hemisphere over other parts of the world.
Trump told Axios earlier in the week that he was considering sending a second carrier strike group to the Middle East.
The USS Ford set out on deployment in late June 2025, which means the crew will have been deployed for eight months in two weeks’ time.
While it is unclear how long the ship will remain in the Middle East, the move sets the crew up for an unusually long deployment.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.