US aircraft carrier nears Middle East as Geneva talks end without Iran breakthrough
Washington’s flagship aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is in transit across the Mediterranean as US and Iranian negotiators wrapped up a third round of talks in Geneva.
WASHINGTON — The US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier is en route to the Middle East after departing Greece on Monday morning local time, following a stop at the US-run naval support facility in Souda Bay, Crete.
The USS Gerald R. Ford resumed its transit across the Mediterranean as US and Iranian negotiators convened for a third round of talks in Geneva Thursday over restricting Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program.
Israel Hayom cited unnamed officials as saying the Ford is expected to reach Israel within 24 hours; however, Pentagon officials have not confirmed any destination.
The Ford’s arrival would mark the first time a US carrier has been stationed off Israel since 2023. Five US Navy destroyers partook in efforts to intercept incoming Iranian ballistic missiles during the June 2025 war between Israel and Iran.
