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Iwo Jima Returns and Nimitz Heads Home as U.S. Carriers Keep Global Presence

The moves ease strain on crews and logistics during sustained carrier deployments and CENTCOM’s blockade of Iranian‑linked shipping.

Overview

  • The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima returned to Naval Station Norfolk on June 6 after a 296‑day deployment that logged about 6,200 sorties, 1,850 flight hours and more than 130,000 combined nautical miles.
  • Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Kingston, Jamaica on June 5 after its Southern Seas goodwill tour and is en route to the United States with escort ships that recently sailed from Ponce, Puerto Rico.
  • U.S. Central Command says its dual‑carrier blockade in the Arabian Sea has redirected 134 commercial vessels and disabled seven ships attempting to run Iranian‑linked shipping routes.
  • The USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Indo‑Pacific and was observed refueling on June 8 while Carrier Air Wing 5, including a squadron of F‑35C fighters, is embarked.
  • Nearly 10‑month deployments have strained personnel and sustainment, prompting staggered redeployments even as the Navy maintains forward airpower, counter‑narcotics and humanitarian missions and reported special‑operations support in the Caribbean.