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The U.S. military has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest warship in the world, to sail from the Caribbean to the Middle East as President Donald Trump weighs whether to pursue possible military action against Iran, according to multiple reports citing U.S. officials.
The redeployment will place two U.S. carrier strike groups in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago after being redirected from the Indo-Pacific.
President Trump said earlier this week that he was considering sending an additional carrier group as pressure mounts on Tehran to reach a new agreement over its nuclear program.
“Either we will make a deal or we will have to do something very tough like last time,” President Trump told reporters, referencing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June. He added that an agreement should come quickly and warned that failure to reach one could be “very traumatic.”
The United States currently operates 11 aircraft carriers worldwide, and deployments are usually planned months in advance. The Ford’s reassignment marks a quick turnaround after it was moved from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean last October as part of a U.S. buildup tied to operations involving Venezuela.
The Ford, powered by nuclear reactors, can carry more than 75 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets and early-warning aircraft, and features advanced radar and flight-control systems designed to support high-tempo operations, Reuters reported.
The deployment also extends an already lengthy mission. The carrier departed on deployment in late June 2025, meaning its crew will soon have been at sea for roughly eight months, longer than a typical deployment cycle.
U.S. and Iranian officials held indirect talks in Oman last week, but disagreements remain over Tehran’s missile program and regional activities. President Trump discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during meetings in Washington, with both leaders saying negotiations should continue while pressure remains high.
