U.S. Aircraft Carrier 'Gerald Ford' Heading to Europe Amid Rising Middle East Tensions

A U.S. Navy official announced that the aircraft carrier 'USS Gerald Ford' is preparing to leave its base in Norfolk on the east coast of the United States on the morning of June 24, heading to Europe as part of a pre-planned deployment. This announcement came on Friday, according to Agence France-Presse.

'Gerald Ford' is the newest American aircraft carrier, entering service in 2017 as the first ship in the new generation of carriers, distinguished by its ability to carry 100,000 tons and its reliance on nuclear propulsion.

This move comes at a time when the region is witnessing a significant American military buildup, with the aircraft carrier 'USS Carl Vinson' having been in the Middle East for months, while the aircraft carrier 'Nimitz' sails from the South China Sea towards the same region.

This military maneuver coincides with escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, as the U.S. military conducted a series of exercises last week, and recent days have seen intensive aerial movements, including sending large military aircraft to U.S. bases in Europe and withdrawing dozens of aircraft from a base in the Middle East in anticipation of possible Iranian attacks.

In a related context, U.S. President Donald Trump has given himself two weeks to decide on direct military intervention against Iran, while Tehran continues to adhere to its rejection of a return to nuclear negotiations as long as Israeli attacks against it persist.

It is worth noting that the current tensions have disrupted indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran on the Iranian nuclear program, as talks had begun before the current crisis escalated between Israel and Iran.