GEOPOLITICS | U.S. Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier to Middle East Amid Operational Challenges

On February 26, local time, the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, departed from Crete, Greece, heading towards the Middle East. According to Jin10, the White House had previously ordered the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the region. The USS Ford and its escort vessels were dispatched from the Caribbean to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf, marking the first dual-carrier presence in the Middle East in nearly a year. The USS Ford is reportedly facing a fundamental issue: approximately 90% of its 650 toilets are out of service, leaving only a few operational. This has resulted in over 4,600 sailors queuing for restroom access, sometimes waiting for more than 45 minutes.