U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford—the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier—to shift from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in a bid to intensify pressure on Iran amid fragile nuclear negotiations and rising regional tensions.
The Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships already operating in the region.
According to officials, the move will substantially boost U.S. military capabilities in the area. The carrier strike group is expected to take about three weeks to arrive, signaling a significant reorientation of U.S. strategic attention from the Caribbean toward West Asia.
The redeployment comes at a time when diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain uncertain. The two sides recently held indirect talks in Oman, but no subsequent meeting has been announced. Trump has warned that failing to secure an agreement could bring “very traumatic” consequences for Iran, underscoring the urgency behind the administration’s pressure campaign.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met Trump in Washington this week, has pressed for broader concessions from Tehran, including restrictions on its missile program and support for regional proxy groups. While Iran has indicated readiness to limit uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief, it has rejected additional conditions.
The extended deployment—ongoing since June 2025—marks an unusually long period at sea for the USS Gerald R. Ford and highlights a more assertive U.S. posture amid escalating Middle Eastern tensions and delicate diplomatic efforts.
