President Trump has dispatched the USS Gerald R Ford to the Middle East for a dual-carrier Iran deployment alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln. The approximately three-week journey from Caribbean waters demonstrates Trump’s determination to maximize military pressure on Tehran as nuclear and missile negotiations proceed through indirect channels without definitive resolution.
The decision followed Trump’s coordination meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, where leaders aligned on Iran negotiation requirements. Netanyahu has consistently maintained that acceptable agreements must comprehensively address ballistic missile development and proxy support alongside nuclear enrichment, creating complex terms that extend beyond what Tehran has indicated readiness to accept.
Iranian negotiators have signaled conditional flexibility on nuclear enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief that could provide economic benefits. However, Iranian officials have categorically rejected broader demands regarding ballistic missile programs and regional proxy relationships, viewing such requirements as violations of sovereignty and unacceptable limitations on defense capabilities.
The USS Gerald R Ford’s deployment began in June 2025 with Mediterranean operations before Caribbean reassignment where it played a pivotal role in the January Maduro seizure. The Middle East redeployment extends an already lengthy mission with crew members facing continued separation from home ports.
Trump intensified rhetoric toward Iran throughout the week, with Thursday bringing warnings that negotiation failure would prove “very traumatic” while expressing optimism for rapid agreement within approximately one month. Friday’s Fort Bragg remarks suggested that fundamental political change in Tehran might ultimately be more beneficial than continued negotiations.