Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, multiple sources revealed that the aircraft carrier strike group led by the U.S. Navy’s third aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, will be deployed to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to be ready to join U.S. military operations against Iran.
On the same day, U.S. President Trump warned that the U.S. military has identified 3,554 remaining targets inside Iran.
While peace talks between the U.S. and Iran are ongoing, several American officials on Friday (March 27) told CBS News that the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier could potentially join the current “Operation Epic Fury,” aimed at Iran. The Central Command oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East and parts of Asia.
The USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group completed its “full combat certification” training earlier this month, qualifying them for deployment on significant combat missions. The missile destroyer USS Ross, belonging to this carrier strike group, set sail from Norfolk, Virginia earlier this week. Additionally, two more missile destroyers, USS Donald Cook and USS Mason, departed Florida this week heading towards the Middle East.
Since the U.S. and Israel launched operations against Iran on February 28, the Middle East has been patrolled by two aircraft carrier strike groups led by the USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Abraham Lincoln. However, the USS Gerald R. Ford had to dock at the Souda Bay Naval Port in Crete this week for repairs due to a non-combat related incident in the laundry room.
As President Trump continues to escalate military pressure on Iran, the deployment of the USS George H.W. Bush can be seen as a critical move to fill firepower gaps. During the “Future Investment Initiative Priority Summit” in Miami Beach, Florida, on Friday, Trump explicitly stated that there are still 3,554 targets pending strikes by the U.S. military.
He mentioned that Iran, once a regional powerhouse, has been seriously weakened by the “Operation Epic Fury” and is now “begging for a deal.”
“Iran used to be a bully in the Middle East, but they are no longer strong. They have suffered devastating blows…now they are begging for a deal,” Trump said. “We will give them a fantastic deal, we will help them, they will be a prosperous country again, but they will never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.”