US Deploying Second Aircraft Carrier in Middle East
AFP/APP
Washington: The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying a second aircraft carrier, bringing the total number to two.
The USS Carl Vinson will join the USS Harry S. Truman in the region, with the goal of enhancing regional stability, deterring aggression, and safeguarding the free flow of commerce, according to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell.
This announcement comes amid the US military’s ongoing airstrike campaign against Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who have been targeting civilian shipping and military vessels in the region. The United States has made it clear that it will continue its efforts to protect maritime security and counter the Huthi threat.
“To complement the CENTCOM maritime posture, the secretary also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets to further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities,” Parnell added, referring to the US military command responsible for the region.
“The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security in the CENTCOM area of responsibility and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate conflict in the region.”
The Huthis have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the onset of the Gaza war in 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians. Their attacks have disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, a key global trade route, forcing ships to take costly detours around the southern tip of Africa.
‘Real Pain’
Just a day before the carrier announcement, US President Donald Trump vowed that US strikes against the Huthis would continue until they are no longer a threat to shipping. “The choice for the Huthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you.
Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Huthis and their sponsors in Iran,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
Trump emphasized that the Huthis had been “decimated” by “relentless” strikes since March 15, claiming that US forces had been attacking them “every day and night — harder and harder.” He also directed his rhetoric toward Iran, threatening “there will be bombing” unless Iran reaches a deal on its nuclear program.
Trump’s tough rhetoric comes amid an ongoing scandal concerning the accidental leak of a secret group chat among senior US security officials regarding the Yemen strikes.
Last week, the Atlantic revealed that the group, which included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, unknowingly included a journalist in a commercially available Signal app chat discussing sensitive military operations. The leak has raised concerns about the security of classified information.
