Global & US Headlines
USS Gerald R. Ford Redirected from Caribbean to Persian Gulf, Doubling U.S. Carrier Presence
On 13 Feb 2026 Washington ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford to leave the Caribbean and join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, abruptly extending Ford’s eight-month deployment and giving the U.S. two carrier strike groups to pressure Iran during hurried nuclear talks.
Focusing Facts
- Ford’s return to Norfolk is now postponed from early Mar to at least late Apr–May 2026, stretching the cruise toward 10–11 months.
- The redeployment comes just four months after Ford was shifted to the Caribbean to support the 3 Jan 2026 raid that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, counter to Trump’s 2022 strategy prioritizing the Western Hemisphere.
- President Trump warned on 13 Feb that Iran has “about a month” to accept a deal or face unspecified but “very traumatic” consequences.
Context
Major carrier moves have long telegraphed U.S. intent: the twin-carrier deployment during the 1973 Yom Kippur airlift, the dual Kitty Hawk–Midway presence in the 1991 Gulf build-up, and the Reagan–Lincoln tandem sent against Iran in May 2019 each signaled crisis escalation without a formal declaration of war. The 2026 order continues that pattern, illustrating how American presidents reach for floating airbases when diplomacy stalls. Strategically, it reflects the persistent pull of the Gulf on U.S. force posture despite repeated ‘pivot’ promises—echoing Britain’s struggle to police far-flung interests in the 1920s even as its economy flagged. Whether two 13-billion-dollar carriers deter Iran or simply expose the limits of 20th-century power projection in an age of hypersonic missiles will determine if this moment registers, decades hence, as prudent leverage or the high-water mark of carrier diplomacy.
Perspectives
Israeli outlets
The Times of Israel, The Media Line — Frame the carrier’s redeployment as a welcome escalation that bolsters pressure on Tehran and underscores Trump’s resolve after talks with Netanyahu. Coverage stresses urgency and efficacy of hard-line measures against Iran, reflecting Israel’s security concerns while omitting possible regional escalation risks.
Russian state media
TASS — Portrays the move as another U.S. overextension that disrupts sailors’ lives and follows earlier aggressive actions such as the Caracas attack. Story foregrounds logistical strain and past U.S. interventions to paint Washington as destabilising, consistent with Moscow’s interest in criticising American military moves.
U.S. regional outlets carrying Associated Press copy
WMUR9, U.S. News & World Report, etc. — Report the dispatch of a second carrier matter-of-factly as part of Trump’s strategy to gain leverage over Iran in nuclear talks. Heavy reliance on anonymous officials and White House framing may underplay potential dangers or diplomatic fallout, reflecting routine deference to U.S. government sources.