Trump Cranks Up Pressure On Iran With Second Aircraft Carrier Deployment

In the latest escalation of America’s pressure campaign against Iran, the Pentagon has ordered the deployment of the Navy’s most powerful aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, from the Caribbean to the Middle East.

The move will bring two of the 11 U.S. carrier strike groups into Middle Eastern waters. The Ford, the largest and most advanced carrier in the world, is expected to join USS Abraham Lincoln and a growing number of guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets, and surveillance aircraft already in the region.

The Ford will boost the U.S. Central Command’s strike capabilities, providing greater flexibility for sustained air operations against Iran. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program and is weighing military options if diplomacy fails.

The decision marks a pivot back to the Middle East after the Ford spent months in the Caribbean and Mediterranean supporting operations, including oil tanker interdictions and the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Officials said it will take at least a week for the carrier and its escort ships to arrive, according to Reuters