US Prepares to Send USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier to Middle East

JAKARTA - The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying ships currently stationed in the Caribbean Sea will be sent to the Middle East.

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the Pentagon had instructed a second aircraft carrier battle group to prepare for deployment to the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region. However, the name of the aircraft carrier was not mentioned.

Crew were informed of the decision on Thursday, said the sources, who asked not to be identified.

The new order stipulates that the ship join the carrier battle group USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf, the report said on Thursday.

Fighter jets from the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in early January were reportedly involved in the attack on Caracas, which was marked by the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the report continued.

The combat group's assignment has now been extended once, and the sailors were originally expected to return to the United States in early March, the report continued.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that if Iran failed to reach an agreement, Washington would move to "phase two" of action, which he said would be "very tough" for Tehran.