The United States is sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday, 12 February, in an effort to reinforce its naval presence as diplomatic efforts falter.
The nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships are being redeployed from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
The Gerald R. Ford departed Norfolk, Virginia, in June for a deployment originally intended to include European waters, but it was rerouted to the Caribbean to support broader U.S. military operations. This included the involvement of the Ford’s aircraft in a January operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Four U.S. officials told The New York Times that the ship’s crew was informed of the decision on Thursday and that the Gerald R. Ford battle group is now unlikely to return to its home port until late April or early May.
The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly weighed sending another carrier if negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal do not yield results.
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic, very traumatic,” Trump told reporters, while suggesting a diplomatic solution might still be possible.
The deployment underscores continued strains between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme and broader regional influence, even as indirect talks have taken place in Oman with little breakthrough reported.
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The U.S. says it has launched strikes on Iran after alleged attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the action as a response to threats against civilian shipping and a breach of the ceasefire.
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This is the last of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
This is the third of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
This is the second of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
The Aviators of Ganja explores how young Spanish volunteers travelled to Soviet-era Azerbaijan to train as military pilots before being drawn into the defining conflicts of the 20th century.
The South Caucasus is increasingly being viewed not only through the lens of past conflicts but also as a strategic bridge linking Europe, the Caspian region and Central Asia. One analyst says this presents an opportunity for a new Euro-Atlantic approach focused on long-term regional cooperation.
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