Pentagon Orders US Aircraft Carrier to Remain in Eastern Mediterranean Near Israel

According to US officials, Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, has ordered the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and another cruiser to remain in the eastern Mediterranean for several more weeks due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, ensuring their presence near Israel. According to the Associated Press, this is the third time the deployment of the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier has been extended, emphasizing concerns about instability in the region. The United States has two aircraft carriers in this area, which is a rare occurrence in recent years. Several US officials, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the extended deployment of combat vessels like the Gerald Ford and Normandy, as this decision has not yet been officially announced. Other ships in the Gerald Ford strike group had previously extended their deployment in the eastern Mediterranean region. The US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, increased its military presence in the region following Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7 to deter the Islamic Republic, which supports Hamas, from escalating the conflict into a regional war. Shortly after the war began in Gaza, Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria resumed drone and missile attacks on US military facilities. Houthi militants in Yemen also intensified their missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea. According to the report, as of Friday, 19 US warships have been deployed in the region, including seven ships in the eastern Mediterranean and 12 others in the Red Sea and along the Sea of Oman to the Persian Gulf. Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, ordered the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group to move towards the eastern Mediterranean and near Israel on October 8, just one day after Hamas's attack that initiated the Gaza war. The decision to keep the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, the most modern aircraft carrier in the US Navy, in the region was made amid Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's statement on Thursday that the destruction of Hamas would take months and predicted a prolonged war. The Eisenhower aircraft carrier remains stationed in the Persian Gulf, patrolling the Middle East alongside the USS Philippine Sea cruiser. Three other warships, all Navy destroyers, are moving daily in the Bab el-Mandeb to respond to Houthi attacks and provide deterrence. CENTCOM announced the arrival of the Eisenhower strike group in the Persian Gulf; its goal: to ensure the security of free shipping. The Pentagon reported that a US warship and several commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea. The Pentagon also stated that the attempt to hijack a commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden was carried out by Somali pirates. The transfer of F-16 fighter jets to the Middle East aims to enhance US forces' capabilities. A warning to the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces; the US is doubling its military presence in the region.