Overview
- President Donald Trump said the Ford will leave the Caribbean for the Middle East very soon and stated the move depends on whether talks with Iran produce an agreement.
- The carrier will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its escorts in the region, creating a two‑carrier posture first reported by major U.S. outlets that the Pentagon has not detailed.
- Officials indicated the Ford could depart within days after months in the Caribbean, where its aircraft took part in January operations tied to Venezuela, extending an already long deployment.
- Gulf states cautioned that any U.S. strike on Iran could trigger wider conflict as Iran contends with internal unrest and 40‑day mourning observances for protest victims.
- Separately, the U.S. Peace Board convenes Feb. 19 in Washington to present a multibillion‑dollar Gaza reconstruction plan and discuss a potential UN‑authorized stabilization force.