MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US redeploys USS Gerald R. Ford from Caribbean to Middle East amid Iran pressure

The Ford had been operating in the Caribbean with its escorts and took part in Venezuela-related operations earlier this year, ahead of the January US raid that captured Nicolás Maduro

The United States is shifting the USS Gerald R. Ford, its largest aircraft carrier, from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in a move that would place two US carrier strike groups in the region as President Donald Trump presses Iran to reach a deal over its nuclear programme.

Trump framed the deployment as leverage if diplomacy fails. “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” he told reporters as he left the White House for a military base in North Carolina.

According to AP, the Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships and assets already operating under US Central Command, as Washington signals it is prepared to expand military pressure while seeking another round of indirect contacts with Tehran.

The Ford had been operating in the Caribbean with its escorts and took part in Venezuela-related operations earlier this year, ahead of the January US raid that captured Nicolás Maduro. As the carrier departs, US Southern Command said it would remain focused on countering “illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere.” “While force posture evolves, our operational capability does not,” Southern Command spokesperson Col. Emanuel Ortiz said.

Reuters reported the Ford could take at least a week to reach the Middle East, reinforcing a posture that includes guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft and surveillance assets. The redeployment also extends an already lengthy mission: the carrier deployed in June 2025 and its schedule had been adjusted before, underscoring how scarce carrier availability can be.

The move comes as Washington and Tehran pursue indirect talks in Oman. Trump said he expected progress “over the next month,” while warning that failure to reach a deal would be “a bad day for Iran.”