The New York Times reported, citing four American officials, that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying vessels will be moved from the Caribbean Sea and near Venezuela to the Persian Gulf region.
The ship will join the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf, a move that has been seen as part of the Donald Trump administration’s maximum pressure policy against Iran.
US officials announced that the ship’s crew received the order to deploy last night.
Trump had previously confirmed that another aircraft carrier would be sent to the region, although the USS George W. Bush had initially been mentioned as a possible option.
The Gerald R. Ford departed Norfolk, Virginia, last June. It was transferred to the Caribbean Sea last October and participated in the January 3rd attack on Caracas.
Its mission had been extended once, and the crew was expected to return to base in early March, but with the new order, their return will likely be delayed until late April or early May.
The deployment has also disrupted the ship’s scheduled repair schedule.
