The other ships within the Ford Carrier Strike Group are remaining where they are in the region and not joining the Ford at Souda Bay. In February, President Donald Trump said he was sending the carrier strike group to the Middle East in a move to apply more pressure on Iran. The strike group entered the Mediterranean Sea in late February. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has also been deployed in the region. The Ford strike group consists of the carrier and its carrier air wing, as well as Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers the USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge, and the USS Winston S. Churchill.

Source: CNN March 18, 2026 21:08 UTC