US Sends Third Carrier To West Asia After Ship Fire

By Staff, Agencies

The United States is reinforcing its military presence in West Asia, deploying a third aircraft carrier to bolster its strained naval forces as Washington considers further escalation against Iran.

According to US officials, the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group has departed Naval Station Norfolk and is en route to the region, where it will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford.

The move could leave the US operating three aircraft carriers simultaneously in West Asia for an extended period.

The Pentagon has not detailed future operations, but the move comes as US President Donald Trump weighs expanding aggression against Iran, alongside a broader troop buildup, with a Marine unit already entering regional waters.

The US push to reinforce its forces in West Asia comes amid growing questions over the readiness of the USS Gerald R. Ford. Docked in Split after a reported onboard fire, the vessel’s withdrawal has been dismissed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards [IRG] as a “humiliating” retreat, exposing deeper flaws in Washington’s naval operations.

The Ford’s stop in Croatia follows an earlier visit to Souda Bay in Crete, as the US naval command attempts to address both the reported fire damage and a series of persistent technical issues, including plumbing failures that have affected onboard systems.

The carrier has been deployed for approximately nine months, one of the longest recent deployments for a US warship, raising further questions about sustainability and readiness during prolonged operations.USS George H.W. BushUSS Gerald R. Ford.