Second U.S. Aircraft Carrier Heading to Middle East

USS Gerald R. Ford will sail from the Caribbean and join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf.

Zach Vasile

Friday, February 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford [Credit: U.S. Navy]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. plans to deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East due to escalating tensions with Iran.
The Gerald R. Ford will join another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the region, with the aim of increasing pressure on Iran during ongoing nuclear program negotiations.
The U.S. is seeking a settlement for Iran to halt nuclear weapons development and end support for regional proxy groups, following past U.S. military actions including bombings.
The heightened military presence and diplomatic efforts carry the risk of renewed conflict, as illustrated by a recent drone incident and warnings of a disastrous regional war.

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The U.S. plans to move the world’s largest aircraft carrier from the Caribbean to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate.

A person familiar with the plan told the Associated Press that the USS Gerald R. Ford will join the USS Abraham Lincoln in patrolling the waters south of Iran. The Abraham Lincoln was moved from the South China Sea to the Arabian Sea in January as Iranian security forces moved to crush anti-government protests in major cities there.