Another U.S. aircraft carrier expected to head to Middle East, officials say
CBSN
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its escort ships are expected to head from the Caribbean to the Middle East, three U.S. officials told CBS News, adding a second aircraft carrier to the region as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to simmer. In:
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its escort ships are expected to head from the Caribbean to the Middle East, three U.S. officials told CBS News, adding a second aircraft carrier to the region as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to simmer.
The Ford — which is the Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier — is set to join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group, which arrived in the Middle East late last month. The region is overseen by the U.S. military's Central Command.
The Ford carrier strike group has been in the Caribbean region since November, part of a broader military buildup near Venezuela. American forces in that region have conducted dozens of strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats and, last month, captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
The New York Times was first to report on the Ford's expected movement.
The planned deployment comes as President Trump presses Iran to strike a nuclear deal, threatening military action against Iran if it doesn't agree to curb its nuclear program. The president also pressured Iran over its violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters last month.

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