WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East, significantly increasing military pressure on Iran amid ongoing nuclear negotiations. The move has raised fears of further escalation in an already volatile region .
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump confirmed that the Ford Carrier Strike Group will leave its position in the Caribbean Sea “very shortly” to join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships already operating in the Persian Gulf . “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump warned, referring to nuclear negotiations with Tehran. He expressed optimism about talks but cautioned that failure would result in “a bad day for Iran, very bad” .
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s newest and most advanced carrier, had been operating in the Caribbean since October as part of pressure campaigns related to Venezuela. Its aircraft supported the dramatic January 3 operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro . The deployment extension means the carrier and its crew, which left Norfolk in June 2025, could face one of the longest continuous deployments in recent Navy history, potentially exceeding 300 days .
The announcement follows Trump’s Wednesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, where discussions focused on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security. Netanyahu expressed hope that Trump’s approach would create conditions for a deal avoiding military action . The US and Iran held indirect talks in Oman last week, though no new negotiations have been scheduled .
