Third US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Middle East, Trump's Strong Signal to Iran?

JAKARTA - The US military said the third Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush has arrived in the waters of the Middle East.

The arrival of the large US military equipment comes after the second round of US-Iranian negotiations in Pakistan was canceled and US President Donald Trump suddenly announced an extension of the US-Iranian ceasefire for two weeks.

CCN International on Friday, April 24, reported that with the arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush, military analysts said this was the largest number of US aircraft carriers deployed to the Middle East in more than 20 years.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) in its social media account said the third aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush had entered the area under its responsibility.

The USS George H.W. Bush, which was commissioned in 2009, is the latest of 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the US Navy fleet.

At nearly 1,000 feet long and weighing more than 100,000 tons, the aircraft carrier can carry more than 80 aircraft, is powered by two nuclear reactors, and has more than 5,500 sailors and aircrew on board.

When asked about plans for Bush, a US defense official said the military was not "discussing troop deployments, ship movements, or locations to protect service members and operational security."

However, analysts noted that the US was sending a message to Iran as the USS George H.W. Bush arrived in the Middle East even without firing a single shot.

"The potential involvement of a third aircraft carrier alone adds to the pressure the regime (Iran) faces ahead of the peace talks," said Carl Schuster, a retired US Navy captain.

The arrival of the USS George H.W. Bush on Thursday local time came shortly after Trump rejected a deadline for when the Iran war would end, telling reporters at the White House: "Don't rush."