Washington DC (US)

The United States is deploying a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, and its escort ships from the Caribbean to West Asia, the New York Times reported on Friday.

The development comes as US President Donald Trump weighs military action against Iran as talks continue between Washington and Tehran over the latter's nuclear programme. The US is increasing pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear programme.

The NYT report said that four US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity have confirmed this development and stated that the vessels are not expected to return to their home ports until late April or early May

The USS Ford strike group's new orders will have it join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf.

The USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in West Asia more than two weeks ago.

The ship's extraordinary deployment, which began June 24 when the Ford left port in Norfolk, Virginia, was originally meant to be a European cruise but was redirected to the Caribbean as part of Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuela, the New York Times reported.

The US news outlet reported that the USS Ford's warplanes participated in the January 3 attack on Caracas that captured President Nicolas Maduro. The strike group's current deployment has already been extended once, and its sailors were expecting to come home in early March.

Trump, after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (local US time), said that Iran was struck by 'Midnight Hammer' previously when it failed to reach a deal and added that he hoped Tehran would act in a more reasonable and responsible way this time.

On June 21-22, 2025, under "Operation Midnight Hammer," the United States conducted strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure, targeting three key sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Iran strongly condemned the operations, denouncing them as a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Recenlty Iranian official Ali Larijani, in an interview with Al Jazeera, emphasized that indirect negotiations with Washington are ongoing in Oman and that no specific proposal has yet been received from the United States.

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Iran's state media reported that Larijani noted that the United States has reached the conclusion that it must adopt an approach toward Iran that differs from the military option, describing Washington's entry into the negotiation process as a sign of moving toward a "rational path."

Further, he rejected any discussion about "zero enrichment," stating that Iran requires enrichment for the energy sector and the production of medicine. He warned: "If the United States attacks us, we will target its military bases in the region," a report in the IRNA news agency said .