US is deploying second aircraft carrier to West Asia, amid Iran tensions | World News

The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, and its escort ships from the Caribbean to West Asia, the New York Times reported on Friday.

This development emerged as US President Donald Trump was weighing military intervention against Iran, at a time when talks between Washington and Tehran regarding Iran’s nuclear program were continuing. The United States is increasing pressure on Iran to make a deal regarding its nuclear program.

The NYT report said four US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed this development and stated that the ships are not expected to return to their home ports until late April or early May.

New orders for the USS Ford strike group will enable it to join the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf.

The aircraft carrier USS Lincoln and three guided missile destroyers arrived in West Asia more than two weeks ago.

The ship’s extraordinary deployment, which began June 24 with Ford’s departure from port in Norfolk, Virginia, was originally planned as a European trip but was diverted to the Caribbean as part of Trump’s pressure campaign on Venezuela, the New York Times reported.

The US news outlet reported that USS Ford warplanes participated in the Caracas attack in which President Nicolas Maduro was kidnapped on January 3. The strike group’s current deployment was extended once again, and the Marines expected to return home in early March.

After his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (local US time), Trump said that Iran had been hit by the ‘Midnight Hammer’ when it could not reach an agreement before, and that he hoped Tehran would act in a more reasonable and responsible manner this time.

On June 21-22, 2025, the United States launched attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as part of “Operation Midnight Hammer” and targeted three key sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Iran strongly condemned the operations, saying they were a clear violation of international law and the UN Charter.

In his recent interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian official Ali Larijani emphasized that indirect negotiations with Washington are continuing in Oman and that no specific offer has yet been received from the USA.

Iranian state media reported that Larijani concluded that the United States should adopt a different approach to Iran than the military option, and described Washington’s entry into the negotiation process as a sign of progress towards a “rational path.”

He also rejected any discussion of “zero enrichment”, stating that Iran needs enrichment for its energy sector and pharmaceutical production. “If the USA attacks us, we will target its military bases in the region,” he warned, according to IRNA news agency.