Donald Trump has commanded the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier strike group from Caribbean waters to the Middle East, substantially increasing American military presence as indirect negotiations with Iran over nuclear capabilities continue without clear breakthrough. The carrier and its escort vessels face approximately three weeks of sailing before arriving to join the USS Abraham Lincoln already operating in the region.
The deployment decision crystallized after Trump’s Wednesday meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders discussed their respective expectations for any agreement with Iran. Netanyahu has consistently maintained that effective deals must address not only nuclear enrichment but also Iran’s extensive ballistic missile arsenal and its financial support for militant organizations including Hezbollah operating across multiple countries.
Negotiations between American and Iranian representatives proceeded last week in Oman through indirect channels, reflecting the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran. While Iranian officials have suggested willingness to accept limits on nuclear enrichment activities in return for economic sanctions relief, they have firmly rejected the broader demands concerning missile programs and proxy group support that Israel considers non-negotiable elements.
The USS Gerald R Ford’s journey to the Middle East extends an already lengthy deployment that began when the carrier departed American waters in June 2025. After operations in the eastern Mediterranean through October, the ship relocated to the Caribbean in mid-November to increase pressure on Venezuela, ultimately playing a key role in the dramatic seizure of Nicolás Maduro in January. The carrier had remained in Caribbean waters until receiving orders for Middle East deployment.
Trump escalated his warnings to Iranian leadership throughout the week, first telling reporters on Thursday that failure to reach agreement would prove “very traumatic” while expressing hope for rapid conclusion of talks within roughly one month. His Friday comments at Fort Bragg went further, suggesting that regime change in Iran might be the optimal outcome after what he characterized as 47 years of fruitless diplomatic engagement that occurred while American service members died in regional conflicts.