President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) confirmed that the United States (US) would be sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East, as tensions remain high with Iran amid continued negotiations over its nuclear programme. The 79-year-old American president’s remarks confirm that the US is mulling a potential military action against Iran.
The US had stationed USS Abraham Lincoln, a fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, in the Mideast nearly two weeks ago, and according to a report by The New York Times (NYT), it would soon deploy USS Gerald R Ford. The Ford, world’s largest aircraft carrier, will be deployed in Mediterranean Sea from the Caribbean region following ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s capture by US forces in a surprise operation last month.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” the Republican leader told reporters when asked whether the US would be sending another carrier to the region. “It’ll be leaving very soon.”