Trump sends second aircraft carrier to Middle East in effort to increase pressure on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has directed the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, to redeploy from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East to bolster pressure on Iran amid ongoing nuclear negotiations and regional tensions. 

The move will see the Ford join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its supporting warships in the region.

Officials say the deployment significantly increases U.S. military firepower in the area. The carrier and its strike group are expected to take roughly three weeks to reach the Middle East, reflecting a major shift in U.S. strategic focus from the Caribbean back toward West Asia.

The redeployment comes as diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes remains uncertain. Washington and Tehran held indirect talks recently in Oman, but no follow-up round has yet been scheduled. Trump has publicly warned that failure to reach a deal could lead to “very traumatic” consequences for Iran, suggesting intense urgency behind the pressure campaign.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met Trump in Washington this week, has urged the U.S. to seek broader concessions from Tehran, including limits on its missile programme and support for proxy groups in the region. Iran has expressed willingness to curb nuclear enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief but has rejected other demands.

The deployment marks an unusually long period at sea for the USS Gerald R. Ford, it has been away since June 2025 and underscores a more assertive U.S. posture amid heightened Middle Eastern tensions and delicate diplomacy.