After the Largest US Aircraft Carrier Enters the Mediterranean

Tensions between the United States and Iran are increasingly fraught. The largest US aircraft carrier has now moved closer to Iranian territory.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was seen entering the Mediterranean Sea on Friday (20 February) local time. The vessel was ordered by US President Donald Trump to deploy to the Middle East as part of a massive military build-up amid tensions with Iran.

According to AFP, the carrier was spotted crossing the Strait of Gibraltar — which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean — in photographs taken from the Gibraltar side of the strait.

The aircraft carrier will join another US carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and its escort warships, which had already arrived in the Middle East region.

Trump said on Friday (20 February) local time that he was “considering” limited strikes against Iran should negotiations fail to produce an agreement.

Trump had previously signalled on Thursday (19 February) that “bad things” would happen if Tehran did not reach a deal within 10 days, a deadline he subsequently extended to 15 days.

When asked by a reporter on Friday whether he was considering limited military strikes, Trump replied: “The most I can say is — I’m considering it.”

Tehran Residents Unable to Sleep Soundly

The Iran-US tensions have left residents of Tehran unable to sleep peacefully. The spectre of war haunts their nights.

A Tehran resident named Hamid said he struggles to sleep due to fears of renewed conflict looming over the Iranian capital, following the 12-day war with Israel last year.

“I can’t sleep well at night even with medication,” Hamid told AFP on Sunday (22 February 2026).

Tehran was shaken by overnight explosions on 12 to 13 June last year, when Iran’s arch-enemy Israel launched an unprecedented military campaign. This resulted in an exchange of attacks between Iran and Israel.

Those strikes prompted Iran to respond with drone and missile attacks, resulting in thousands of deaths in Iran and dozens in Israel.

Iran has since resumed talks with the US, insisting that discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, although Washington had previously pushed for Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and its support for armed groups in the region to also be on the agenda. However, the outcome of diplomacy remains uncertain.

Against this backdrop, Hamid worries about his children and grandchildren.

“I’ve lived my life, but they haven’t done anything good in theirs — they haven’t had fun, haven’t been comfortable, haven’t had leisure time, and haven’t had peace,” he said.

“I want them to at least experience life for a while. But I’m afraid they might not get that chance.”

Other residents share similar concerns. Hanieh, a ceramic artisan from Tehran, believes war will come “within 10 days”.

The 31-year-old woman has stockpiled basic necessities at home in preparation for a possible US military strike following the American military build-up in the region.

“I’m increasingly frightened because my mother and I went through so many hardships during the last 12-day war,” she told AFP.

“We had to flee to another city,” she added.

Another resident, Mina Ahmadvand (46), also believes another conflict is imminent.

“I think at this stage, war between Iran and the US and Israel is inevitable, and I have prepared myself for that possibility,” the IT technician told AFP.

“I bought a dozen canned goods including tuna and beans, several packets of biscuits, bottled drinking water, and some extra batteries, among other items.”

Sweden and Serbia Urge Citizens to Leave Iran

The governments of Sweden and Serbia have called on their nationals in Iran to leave the country immediately. The appeals came after US President Donald Trump threatened military action over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.

The Serbian government had asked Serbian citizens in mid-January to leave Iran and refrain from travelling there, as Iranian authorities launched a deadly crackdown on mass protest movements.

“Due to the deteriorating security situation, citizens of the Republic of Serbia are advised against travelling to Iran in the near future,” the Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a recent statement on its website, published on Friday evening into Saturday morning local time.

“All those currently in Iran are advised to leave the country as soon as possible,” it added.

Separately, Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard posted on social media platform X her “urgent appeal to Swedish citizens in Iran to leave the country immediately”.

Advisory for Indonesian Citizens in Iran

Acting Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection at the Foreign Ministry, Heni Hamidah, said the ministry through the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is monitoring security developments in Iran. The situation in Tehran currently remains normal.

“The Foreign Ministry through the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran continues to monitor the security situation in Iran, and as of now, the situation in Tehran and other cities is observed to be running normally and remains conducive,” Heni said when contacted on Sunday (22 February).

She said the embassy continues to monitor the whereabouts of Indonesian citizens and maintains active communication. To date, there have been no reports of Indonesian citizens facing threats or dangerous situations.