According to AP, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier to return on September 12. Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier will continue to remain in the Middle East.
The aircraft carriers operating in the Middle East are tasked with protecting Israel and the US military from attacks by Iran. The US has deployed an additional fleet of about 12 warships to the region to increase deterrence.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt's departure comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the Gulf of Oman in the Middle East for three weeks since beginning its move to the region in early August.
The US Defense Secretary said he would do everything possible to ensure Israel's safety in the region amid escalating tensions.
Not long before, the US also ordered the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to return after an 8-month war with Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
US aircraft carriers are present in many major seas of the world, including the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They can accommodate thousands of people and dozens of fighter jets.
According to the US Navy, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier can accommodate up to 6,000 crew members and 200 officers. 85 fighter jets codenamed F-35 and F/A-18 are on board.
To date, the aircraft carrier named after the 16th US President has been in operation for 36 years and is usually anchored at the ports of Everett or Washington.
USS Abraham Lincoln is equipped with 3 missile launchers, 4 close-in gun systems. The ship is more than 300 meters long and weighs about 23,000 tons.
The ship's maximum speed is 35 knots and its displacement is 100,000 tons.
