The Pentagon has completed the rare decision to keep two Navy aircraft carriers in the Middle East, with the USS Theodore Roosevelt now heading home, according to U.S. officials. This move was orchestrated by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who extended the Roosevelt’s deployment while pushing the USS Abraham Lincoln to arrive promptly in the region. The U.S. administration aimed to bolster military presence in the Middle East to safeguard U.S. troops and support Israel against potential attacks from Iran and its allies.
U.S. military commanders in the region have emphasized the effectiveness of having a U.S. aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships as a deterrent, particularly against Iran. Following the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip last autumn, there has been a consistent presence of carriers in the area, with occasional overlaps having two carriers simultaneously stationed there for short periods. This marked a significant deployment of warship power to the region, unlike previous years.
The decision to bring the Roosevelt back is concurrent with the prolonged conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in numerous casualties over the past 11 months. Efforts to broker a truce between Israel and Hamas have faced obstacles as both sides have raised additional demands, causing mediation attempts to stall repeatedly. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, stationed in the Red Sea earlier this year, played a crucial role in aiding Israel and protecting ships from attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen before returning home after an intense eight-month combat deployment, hailed as the most significant since World War II.
According to anonymous U.S. officials familiar with troop movements, the Roosevelt and the USS Daniel Inouye are anticipated to be in the Indo-Pacific Command’s region by Thursday. Meanwhile, the USS Russell, another destroyer in the group, has already departed the Middle East and is patrolling the South China Sea. The Lincoln, currently situated in the Gulf of Oman alongside several other warships, had arrived in the Middle East approximately three weeks ago, allowing for an overlap with the Roosevelt until now. Additionally, several U.S. ships are positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, with two destroyers and the guided missile submarine USS Georgia stationed in the Red Sea.
