Press Iran, US sends world's largest amphibious ship to Middle East

The world's largest aircraft carrier owned by the United States (US), USS Gerald R. Ford. (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The world's largest aircraft carrier owned by the United States (US), the USS Gerald R. Ford, has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East.

A person familiar with the plans told the New York Times on Thursday local time. The source spoke of the US military's movements on condition of anonymity.

The departure brings the two aircraft carriers and their accompanying warships to waters near Iran's borders amid Trump's increased pressure on the Islamic Republic to make a deal on its nuclear program.

About two weeks ago, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East.

The arrival of the larger naval fleet marks a rapid shift in the mission of the USS Gerald R. Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean in October 2025.

At that time, the presence of the world's largest aircraft carrier belonging to the US in the Caribbean waters was part of a massive US military presence ahead of a sudden attack on Venezuela to kidnap the then-ruling president, Nicolas Maduro.

The presence of the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Middle East is at odds with Trump's national security strategy, which emphasizes the Western Hemisphere over other parts of the world.

Last week, citing AFP, Iran and the US held indirect talks in Oman following the increasing tensions between the two sides.

On Thursday, February 12, Trump warned Iran that failure to reach a nuclear deal with the US government would be "very traumatic."

"I think in the next month or so, that's about it," Trump said in response to a question about the time frame for reaching an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program.

"It has to happen quickly. They have to agree very quickly," he continued.