Middle East: US sends most advanced carrier to join forces against Iran in major show of strength

The USS Gerald R. Ford – the US Navy’s largest and most sophisticated carrier – will join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the region, alongside nine additional warships already operating in the Middle East

US President Donald Trump has issued a formidable new warning to Iran, deploying the world’s largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier to the Middle East. Specifically, the Pentagon is dispatching the USS Gerald R. Ford to the region, marking the second such strategic move in just a few months as tensions with Tehran remain at a fever pitch, according to reports from US media outlets on Friday.

The USS Gerald R. Ford – the flagship of the US Navy’s next-generation fleet – is set to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the area. This formidable task force includes nine other warships already active in the Middle East, as reported by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Associated Press. This deployment, which President Donald Trump had long signaled amid ongoing negotiations with Iran, comes as the administration ramps up pressure on Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program.

Redeployment

This represents a rapid tactical redeployment for the USS Gerald R. Ford, which Trump had previously shifted from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean last October. That move supported a significant buildup of military presence ahead of last month’s surprise operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

At the same time, this shift appears to pivot away from Trump’s stated national security strategy, which had previously prioritized the Western Hemisphere over other global theaters. The USS Gerald R. Ford initially began its deployment cycle in late June 2025, meaning that within two weeks, the crew will have been on continuous mission for eight months. While it remains unclear exactly how long the carrier will remain in the Middle East, the move suggests an unusually long tour of duty for the personnel on board.

Fruitless negotiations

The United States and Iran did indeed conduct high-level talks in Oman last week; however, the dialogue was widely characterized as inconclusive. The US had previously executed targeted airstrikes against three critical Iranian nuclear facilities in mid-2025, with Trump repeatedly condemning Tehran’s plans for uranium enrichment. Gulf Arab nations have warned that any further military action could ignite a fresh regional conflagration in a Middle East still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Meeting with Netanyahu

Reports regarding the dispatch of the USS Gerald R. Ford emerged just days after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Their discussions reportedly focused heavily on the Iranian threat and the rapid developments surrounding Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.

New threats from Trump

In his latest statements on Thursday (Feb 12, 2026), President Donald Trump intensified the pressure cooker surrounding Tehran’s nuclear program and regional threats, signaling that negotiations are entering a decisive and final phase. Trump asserted that the United States and Iran must reach a deal “within the next month,” establishing a stark and narrow ultimatum. Furthermore, he warned that a failure to reach an agreement could lead to “very traumatic” consequences, leaving the door wide open for a severe military escalation.

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