Donald Trump has commanded the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to depart from the Caribbean Sea and head toward the Middle East as part of an escalating strategy to pressure Iran during ongoing nuclear negotiations. The massive warship and its accompanying strike group are expected to require approximately three weeks to reach their destination, where they will join forces with the USS Abraham Lincoln already stationed in the region.
The deployment significantly amplifies American military presence in the area as Washington engages in indirect discussions with Tehran about restricting Iran’s nuclear enrichment and ballistic missile capabilities. The talks, which began last week in Oman, have yet to produce a scheduled follow-up meeting, though both sides have indicated willingness to continue negotiations.
Trump’s decision follows a crucial meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, where the two leaders discussed the developing framework for potential agreements with Iran. Israel has pressed for comprehensive terms that would require Iran not only to halt nuclear advancement but also to scale back its ballistic missile development and cease supporting proxy organizations like Hezbollah throughout the Middle East.
The USS Gerald R Ford had been operating in the Caribbean since mid-November, playing a pivotal role in the seizure of Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro in early January. The carrier’s redeployment to the Middle East extends what is already an unusually lengthy mission—the ship departed from the United States in June 2025 with no confirmed return date currently scheduled.
Trump issued stern warnings to Iranian leadership on Thursday, characterizing the consequences of failed negotiations as potentially “very traumatic” for the nation. He expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached within approximately one month, urging Iran to accept terms quickly. During a Friday visit to Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina, the president went further, suggesting that regime change in Iran would represent the “best thing that could happen” after 47 years of unsuccessful diplomatic efforts.