Washington DC [US], April 30 (ANI): The USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group are expected to depart the West Asia region within days, CBS News reported Wednesday, citing a senior U.S. official.
The Ford is one of three U.S. carriers operating in the area. Its withdrawal comes amid stalled U.S.-Iran negotiations and as President Donald Trump resists lifting the Strait of Hormuz blockade while weighing further military options against Iran.
The carrier’s return will offer relief to nearly 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for more than ten months. The other two carriers in the region are the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln, the Washington Post said.
The Ford has been operating in the Red Sea, while the Lincoln and Bush have been enforcing the U.S. blockade in the Arabian Sea aimed at ships carrying oil or goods to and from Iranian ports. Ford’s departure will reduce U.S. naval presence supporting that blockade.
Deployed for 309 days, the Ford has had the longest continuous deployment of any modern U.S. carrier. Extended time at sea has taken a toll on the ship, including a laundry-room fire that injured sailors and ongoing maintenance issues such as plumbing problems. Upon returning to Virginia around mid-May, the carrier is expected to undergo additional repairs and upkeep.
At a congressional hearing Wednesday, some lawmakers questioned “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth about the extended deployment. “A tough decision-making process led to the extension,” Hegseth said, “in consultation with the Navy.”
Typical carrier deployments run six to seven months to maintain scheduled maintenance cycles, the Washington Post noted.
Axios reported that CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper is set to brief President Trump as the military evaluates further operations against Iran. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported that President Trump has ordered aides to prepare for a prolonged blockade of Iran—an effort described by officials as a high-risk attempt to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
According to the Journal, Trump has opted to continue blocking Iranian oil exports and maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports, concluding that resuming bombing or disengaging posed greater risks than maintaining the blockade. (ANI)
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