USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to return to Middle East amid Iran fight

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has departed Croatia after receiving repairs during a five-day port visit, the Navy announced on Thursday, a sign the warship could be poised to rejoin U.S. military assets in the Middle East.

The ship sailed out of the region early last week after sustaining damage from a fire in the laundry and berthing room amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Navy said in a statement on Thursday that repairs were completed, and the ship had received supplies to sustain operations while docked in Split, Croatia.

“Gerald R. Ford remains poised for full mission tasking in support of national objectives in any area of operation,” it said, noting the investigation into the fire was ongoing.

The statement said that the ship’s crewmembers “took time to enjoy some liberty” in the country’s second-largest city.  

The commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, Rear Adm. Paul Lanzilotta, and other naval commanders also reportedly met with U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Nicole McGraw to discuss “the strike group’s ongoing deployment and continued mission readiness” during the port visit.

The USS Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships were sent to the Middle East in mid-February to join additional warships that were already positioned off the Iranian coast, boosting U.S. military presence in the region weeks before the initial launch of joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.

The ships, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, have been used to house dozens of aircraft and thousands of service members supporting the aerial campaign against Tehran.

A third aircraft carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is reportedly also heading to the Middle East with three destroyers and a carrier strike group that consists of more than 6,000 sailors, according to The Associated Press.

The Ford Carrier Strike Group has been at sea since June 2025, conducting operations in the Arctic Circle, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Red Sea, according to the Navy.