The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will leave the Middle East and begin its journey back in the next few days, many US officials revealed. This is positive news for about 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months, but also causes the US to lose a significant source of firepower in the context of conflict with Iran.
USS Gerald R. Ford is 1 of 3 US aircraft carriers in the region, along with USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln.
While USS Gerald R. Ford is operating in the Red Sea, the remaining 2 ships are operating in the Arab Sea to implement US blockade orders, targeting oil tankers or cargo ships departing from Iranian ports.
It is not yet clear when the exact USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will leave the Middle East. A US official said that the aircraft carrier may return to base in Virginia around mid-May.
As of April 29, USS Gerald R. Ford has been operating at sea for 309 days, the longest time for a modern US aircraft carrier. This ship had to be repaired after a fire in the washing room that injured some sailors, and also continuously encountered problems with the toilet system. When returning to port, the ship is expected to undergo a large-scale repair and maintenance process.
At the Congressional hearing on April 29, many senators mentioned the extended deployment of this ship, questioning War Minister Pete Hegseth about whether the price to pay for the ship and crew is necessary. Keeping the USS Gerald R. Ford at sea for too long not only affects the future operational capacity of this aircraft carrier itself but also affects the readiness of other warships, due to the limited capacity of maintenance workshops.
Usually, a US aircraft carrier is only deployed for about 6-7 months to ensure maintenance schedule.
USS Gerald R. Ford - the newest aircraft carrier of the US Navy - left port at Norfolk base on June 24, 2025 to go to Europe. After that, President Donald Trump's administration dispatched the ship back to the Atlantic to the Caribbean region to support the US in blockading Venezuela's oil exports and participating in the campaign to arrest President Nicolas Maduro in January 2026.
After that, the deployment time of this aircraft carrier continued to be extended and was deployed to the Middle East to support US military operations against Iran.
The US Navy plays a major role in operations in Venezuela and Iran, with more than 10 warships deployed to both regions. In the Arabian Sea, the US Navy has intercepted at least 39 ships, in some cases including boarding for inspection and confiscation, to prevent the transportation of oil or goods beneficial to Iran. Most recently, on April 28, the US inspected the M/V Blue Star ship and allowed the ship to leave afterwards.
Currently, this blockade is the main source of military pressure that the US is applying to Iran, while President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to force Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and abandon its nuclear program.
