The Pentagon’s decision to keep two Navy aircraft carriers in the Middle East has ended, with the USS Theodore Roosevelt heading home after an extension ordered by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. U.S. officials noted that the Biden administration increased military presence in the region last month to protect Israel from potential attacks.
U.S. commanders in the Middle East argue that having an aircraft carrier in the region is a strong deterrent, especially against Iran. The presence of carriers has been consistent since the Israel-Hamas war began last fall, marking the first time in years that the U.S. has committed such warship power to the region.
The decision to bring the USS Theodore Roosevelt home coincides with the ongoing war in Gaza and stalled ceasefire negotiations. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower had remained in the Red Sea for several months earlier this year to address threats from the Houthis in Yemen.
U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, stated that the USS Roosevelt and the destroyer Daniel Inouye are expected to be in the Indo-Pacific region on Thursday. The USS Lincoln, currently in the Gulf of Oman, overlapped with the Roosevelt in the Middle East. Other U.S. ships are deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
