Pentagon Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier to Middle East Amid Iran Tensions

The Pentagon is dispatching the USS Gerald R. Ford, America's newest and largest aircraft carrier, from the Caribbean to the Middle East, U.S. officials confirmed on Friday. This strategic move increases the U.S. naval presence in the region to two carriers amid rising tensions with Iran.

President Donald Trump stated that the carrier's redeployment is a precautionary measure to prepare for potential conflict should negotiations with Iran falter. The USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to take a week to arrive, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers and aircraft currently stationed there.

This move marks a significant military strategy shift, as deploying a second carrier is rare given the U.S.'s limited fleet of 11 carriers. The deployment also underscores U.S. intentions to counter potential threats, while simultaneously addressing operations in Venezuela. Officials have raised concerns about prolonged deployments impacting morale aboard these ships.