US to Withdraw One Aircraft Carrier from Middle East Amid Iran Conflict

Russian outlets frame the USS Gerald R. Ford’s exit as a routine step driven mainly by the need for repairs after a long deployment. This view plays down any suggestion that Washington is backing away from confrontation with Iran, instead stressing that US ships cannot stay on station indefinitely. Russian coverage suggests that US forces remain stretched and that long deployments like the Ford’s show the limits of American naval power.

• •The USS Gerald R. Ford is leaving Middle Eastern waters primarily to undergo repairs and maintenance.
• •The carrier’s record-length deployment shows that US naval forces are under heavy strain.
• •US commanders cannot keep three carriers in the region for long without harming readiness elsewhere.
• •Washington is rotating the Ford out to avoid technical problems that could arise from overuse.
• •US naval limits give Iran and its partners more room to test American red lines.