U.S. Orders Second Aircraft Carrier To Middle East
USS Gerald R. Ford will join USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran as President Trump warns a failed deal with Iran would be 'very traumatic,' officials said.
Overview
U.S. officials said the USS Gerald R. Ford has been ordered from the Caribbean to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group.
The deployment follows indirect talks in Oman between U.S. intermediaries and Iranian officials as President Donald Trump warned that failure to reach a deal would be 'very traumatic,' officials said.
Gulf Arab nations warned any attack could spiral into regional conflict while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the administration to press Tehran on missiles and militant support, officials said.
The Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived more than two weeks ago, putting two carriers and accompanying warships in the region, officials said.
The USS Ford set out on deployment in late June 2025, the crew was notified of the change Thursday, and officials said it is unclear how long the ship will remain in the Middle East.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the deployment as an escalation that bolsters Trump’s coercive stance toward Iran, emphasizing risk and inconsistency. Through loaded terms ("coerce," "firepower," "bloody crackdown"), selective sourcing (anonymous military insider), and juxtaposing the move with Iran’s unrest and the Ford’s Venezuela role, the coverage stresses danger and policy dissonance.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The USS Gerald R. Ford is being deployed to the Middle East as part of a significant U.S. naval buildup in the region amid heightened tensions with Iran[1][2]. President Donald Trump is weighing possible military action against Iran and has warned that a failed deal would be 'very traumatic'[2]. The deployment positions two U.S. carrier strike groups in the region to intensify pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program, following indirect talks between U.S. intermediaries and Iranian officials in Oman[1].
Officials have stated it is unclear how long the USS Gerald R. Ford will remain in the Middle East[1]. However, if the carrier remains deployed past mid-April 2026, it would break the post-Vietnam War carrier deployment record[4]. The ship's expected arrival back to the U.S. has been pushed back to at least April or May due to this new assignment[3].
The USS Gerald R. Ford will bring its air wing, which includes four squadrons of F/A-18 fighters and one squadron of E/A-18G Growlers[1]. The E/A-18G Growlers are specialized electronic warfare and suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) aircraft that offer capabilities that do not exist anywhere else in the U.S. inventory[3]. Additional Growlers have also been deployed to operate from land bases in the region[3].
The refit planned for the USS Gerald R. Ford in 2026 will now need to be pushed back, likely at significant cost, and will tie up resources at HII's Newport News shipyard for longer[3]. The carrier has already been at sea for eight months and will require a third Atlantic transit during its current deployment, further delaying its return to homeport[3].
Gulf Arab nations have warned that any U.S. attack on Iran could spiral into a regional conflict[1]. This concern reflects the delicate balance of power in the Middle East, where the increased American naval presence, while intended to pressure Iran, carries the risk of escalating tensions with broader regional implications[1].
History
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