US prepares to deploy third aircraft carrier to Middle East

2026-03-07 - 10:13

The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier carries dozens of strike aircraft and will be accompanied by guided-missile destroyers. (US Navy/AFP pic) ANKARA: The US is preparing to deploy a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East for strikes on Iran, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing media reports on Friday. The US Navy’s USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier has completed preparations to leave for the eastern Mediterranean, according to Fox News. The ship, which finalised its preparations off the coast of North Carolina’s Hatteras Island, is expected to embark soon. The aircraft carrier carries dozens of strike aircraft and will be accompanied by guided-missile destroyers. The USS Gerald R. Ford is currently operating in the Red Sea, while the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is operating in the Gulf of Oman. Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since last weekend, when the US and Israel launched large-scale attacks on Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, including supreme leader Ali Khamenei, more than 150 schoolgirls and senior military officials. Iran has retaliated with sweeping barrages targeting US bases, diplomatic facilities and military personnel across the region, as well as multiple Israeli cities.