U.S. Deploys Three Aircraft Carriers to Middle East Near Iran

The United States has deployed three aircraft carriers—the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and the USS George H.W. Bush—simultaneously to the Middle East for the first time since 2003. This military surge, known as Operation Epic Fury, brings over 200 aircraft and 15,000 personnel to the region, supported by at least nine guided-missile destroyers.

Donald Trump ordered the deployment to support a naval blockade of Iranian ports initiated on April 13. While the president extended a fragile ceasefire between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, he maintained the naval siege to pressure the Iranian economy. The U.S. Navy also tested the LOCUST Laser Weapon System on the USS George H.W. Bush to counter drone swarms following attacks on cargo ships by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the seizure of the tanker Majestic X.

Iran labeled the U.S. blockade an act of war and responded by re-blocking the Strait of Hormuz. In Israel, Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the Israeli military is ready to resume war against Iran pending U.S. authorization. U.S. officials confirmed the blockade will continue based on the president's decisions.