To Avoid Houthi Attacks, US Aircraft Carrier Circles Africa En Route to the Middle East

Washington (ANTARA) - The United States aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, along with its escort ships, is sailing around southern Africa amid the US Navy’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

This step is being taken to avoid the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb in anticipation of possible attacks from the Houthi group, as reported by USNI News on Monday (13/4), citing defence officials.

For security reasons, the aircraft carrier is not passing through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean Sea, which is usually the common route for East Coast-based US aircraft carriers heading to the Middle East. The report states that the ship is now preparing to join the growing naval forces in the Arabian Sea.

Earlier on the same day, the US Central Command began enforcing the blockade in those waters as a follow-up to President Donald Trump’s directive after negotiations between Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement.

On Saturday, Iran and the United States began talks in Islamabad after Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Tehran regarding a two-week ceasefire.

However, on Sunday morning (12/4), the US Delegation Leader, Vice President J.D. Vance, stated that Iran and the United States failed to reach an agreement in those negotiations and the US delegation would return without results.

On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched attacks on several targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties.

Iran then retaliated by attacking Israeli territory as well as US military facilities in the Middle East in self-defence.