1 hour ago
Last Updated:February 13, 2026, 10:32 IST
The USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group will be deployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East, extending its mission until late April or early May, a report has suggested.
The American aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (File photo/AP)
The United States’ aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford and its escort ships, which had been deployed to the Caribbean, will now be sent to the Middle East and are not expected to return to their home ports until late April or early May, The New York Times reported.
According to the report, the ship’s crew was informed of the decision on Thursday.
Four US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the decision, confirmed the development to the newspaper.
The Ford strike group’s new orders will have it joining the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf as part of President Donald Trump’s resurgent pressure campaign against Iran’s leaders.
On February 10, Trump had indicated that he wanted to send a second carrier to the region, even as Washington and Tehran were preparing to resume negotiations aimed at averting a new conflict. However, neither he nor the Navy had identified the vessel at the time.
The deployment marks an extension of what has already been an unusually long mission.
The Ford’s current voyage began on June 24 when it left port in Norfolk, Virginia.
The New York Times reported that the deployment was originally meant to be a European cruise but was redirected to the Caribbean as part of Trump’s pressure campaign on Venezuela.
Warplanes from the Ford participated in the January 3 attack on Caracas that captured President Nicolás Maduro, according to the report.
The strike group’s deployment had already been extended once, and sailors were expecting to return home in early March before being informed of the new delay.
The extended deployment is also expected to jeopardise Ford’s scheduled dry dock period in Virginia, where major upgrades and repairs had been planned.
In interviews with Israeli media, Trump had earlier said the United States would have to do “something very tough" if a deal was not reached with Iran.
“Either we reach a deal, or we’ll have to do something very tough," Israel’s Channel 12 had quoted him as saying.
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First Published:
February 13, 2026, 10:32 IST
News world US Aircraft Carrier Gerald R Ford To Depart Caribbean For Middle East Amid Iran Tensions: Report
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