US Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to Depart Middle East Soon

Washington (ANTARA) - The United States aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will leave the Middle East and begin sailing home in the coming days.

This move is “good news for around 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months, but it marks the loss of significant strike capacity as peace negotiations between the US and Iran reach a deadlock,” the Washington Post reported on Wednesday (29/4).

The Ford Carrier Strike Group began its latest assignment on 24 June 2025, departing from the US state of Virginia to the area of responsibility of the US European Command, then deployed to Latin America for anti-narcotics operations, and subsequently to the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran.

The carrier is one of three operating in the Middle East region, alongside the USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln.

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to receive briefings on new plans for potential military action in Iran on Thursday (30/4) from the US Central Command (CENTCOM), according to online media Axios on Wednesday.

“The briefing signals that Trump is seriously considering proceeding with large-scale combat operations, either to try to break the deadlock in negotiations or to deliver a final blow before ending the war,” the report stated.

CENTCOM has prepared plans for waves of “short and intense” attacks against Iran, which would likely include infrastructure targets, in the hope of breaking the negotiation deadlock, according to the report citing three sources familiar with the matter.