[45383] US aircraft carrier 'Gerald Ford' completes its mission in the Middle East

Changes in the US force structure in the Middle East

According to reports from Iran International and العربیه فارسی, based on sources in Washington, the aircraft carrier 'USS Gerald R. Ford' is set to leave the Middle East in the coming days and return to its home base in the United States. The end of the mission comes after about ten months of continuous presence in the region.

Mission details and operational background

Various sources have presented data on the ship's extended service. According to the خبرفوری channel, the ship has been at sea for over 300 days, making the mission the "longest for an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War." The channel noted that the ship operated, among other things, against targets in Venezuela, facing the Islamic Republic, and against drug smuggling in the Caribbean region.

Contradictory narratives on the force's presence

In the coverage of the event, there are notable gaps in narratives:

• FarsNewsInt, which is identified with the Iranian regime's positions, claimed that the ship's past exit from the region stemmed from "fear of Iranian retaliation" and that its return now is possible only due to the "conditions of the ceasefire." The channel further claimed that official US factors used the excuse of a "fire in the laundry room" to disguise its previous departure.


• Conversely, Iran International emphasized that the reduction in naval presence constitutes a "significant decline in the US military capability in the shadow of the fragile ceasefire" with Tehran, while noting that the US continues to maintain a naval blockade on Iranian ports.