US-Iran Tensions Surge as US Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier to West Asia

US-iran tensions : The USS Gerald R Ford and its escort ships will be sent from the Caribbean to West Asia, according to the New York Times.

The development comes as US President Donald Trump considers military action against Iran, although negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear program continue. The US is intensifying pressure on Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program.

According to the New York Times, four US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed this development and added that the vessels are not likely to return to their home ports until late April or early May.

The new orders call for the USS Ford strike group to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf.

The USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in West Asia almost two weeks ago.

The ship’s exceptional deployment, which began on June 24 when the Ford left Norfolk, Virginia, was originally planned to be a European cruise but was redirected to the Caribbean as part of Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuela, according to the New York Times.

The US news site said that the USS Ford’s jets took part in the January 3 strike on Caracas, which resulted in the detention of President Nicolas Maduro. The strike group’s current mission has already been extended once, and its sailors are expected to return home in early March.

After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (local US time), Trump stated that Iran had previously been struck by the ‘Midnight Hammer’ when a deal could not be reached, and that he hoped Tehran would act more reasonably and responsibly this time around.

The United States launched strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure on June 21-22, 2025, under the name “Operation Midnight Hammer,” hitting three key sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Iran vehemently condemned the actions, describing them as clear violations of international law and the UN Charter.

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In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian official Ali Larijani stressed that indirect conversations with Washington are still underway in Oman and that no particular proposal has yet been received from the United States.

According to Iran’s state media, Larijani stated that the United States has concluded that it must take a different approach to Iran than the military option, citing Washington’s participation in the negotiation process as a sign of progress toward a “rational path.”

Furthermore, he rejected any idea of “zero enrichment,” claiming that Iran required enrichment for energy and pharmaceutical production. He warned: “If the United States attacks us, we will target its military bases in the region,” according to an IRNA report.

US-Iran Tensions Escalate as Second Aircraft Carrier Moves to Region

The United States is sending its second aircraft carrier — the USS Gerald R. Ford — along with escort ships from the Caribbean to the Middle East, intensifying military positioning amid rising US-Iran tensions. The USS Abraham Lincoln and associated warships were already in the region ahead of this move as President Donald Trump considers pressure tactics and possible military options regarding negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme.