US Aircraft Carrier Leaves Middle East for Repair
The USS Gerald R. Ford is heading home after 10 months at sea — the longest deployment of any modern US carrier — worn down by a laundry room fire, toilet failures, and the strain of nonstop operations.
The Ford is expected back in Virginia around mid‑May for extensive repairs, The Washington Post reported, citing US officials. The carrier, which sustained damage in a laundry‑room fire that injured several sailors and has faced recurring plumbing issues, has been operating for 309 days — a record for any modern American aircraft carrier.
While two carriers remain in the Arabian Sea to enforce the US blockade of Iranian ports, the Ford’s departure underscores a broader reality: the US military machine is operating beyond its sustainable limits.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, causing damage and civilian casualties. On April 7, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Subsequent talks in Islamabad ended inconclusively, and Trump extended the cessation of hostilities to give Iran time to come up with a "unified proposal."
On April 13, the US Navy began blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington maintains that non-Iranian vessels are free to sail the strait as long as they do not pay a toll to Tehran.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20260430/us-aircraft-carrier-leaves-middle-east-for-repair-1124063247.html
