Overview
- U.S. officials directed the Navy’s newest and largest carrier to leave the Caribbean and transit to the CENTCOM region, a trip expected to take several weeks.
- The two-carrier posture is intended as a show of deterrence, adding more than 5,000 personnel and sharply increasing available aircraft and munitions.
- The USS Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the area for roughly two weeks, and U.S. forces reportedly downed an Iranian drone that approached the ship last week.
- Trump linked the move to ongoing talks, saying regime change in Iran “would be the best thing” and suggesting the buildup ensures options if diplomacy falters.
- The Ford’s deployment follows recent operations tied to Venezuela and extends an already long cruise, with Navy leaders acknowledging the strain of such extensions.