U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a major escalation in Washington’s standoff with Iran after announcing that a second American aircraft carrier will soon be deployed to the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, February 13, Trump said the carrier would be “leaving very shortly,” while confirming that the USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to move from the Caribbean toward the Middle East.
“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it. If we don’t have a deal, we’ll need it. If we have a deal, we could cut it short. It’ll be leaving. It’ll be leaving very soon. We have one out there that just arrived. If we need it, we’ll have it ready.”
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On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump also issued a pointed message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging him to move faster toward a negotiated settlement with Vladimir Putin.
“Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving. Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelenskyy is going to have to get moving, otherwise he’s going to miss a great opportunity. He has to move,” he said.
Military build-up amid Iran nuclear talks
The deployment of the second carrier to the Middle East comes as Washington pushes for a new agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, with Trump earlier warning of “severe consequences” if diplomacy fails.
The President on February 12, signalled that the U.S. is prepared to take decisive action should Iran fail to comply with the former’s demands.
He issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying failure to reach a nuclear agreement with Washington could lead to a “very traumatic” outcome.
“We have to make a deal, otherwise it’s going to be very traumatic. Very traumatic. I don’t want that to happen, but we have to make a deal. They should have made a deal the first time, and they got midnight hammer instead. And this will be very traumatic for Iran if they don’t make a deal. Look, if they don’t make a deal, then it’ll be a different story,” Trump said.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, whose redeployment was first reported by The New York Times, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, already operating in the region for more than two weeks.
Also Read: Trump Prepares Imminent Military Strike in Second Country Within a Month
U.S. forces last week intercepted an Iranian drone approaching the Lincoln, the same day Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ford carrier had been reassigned from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean last October as part of a large U.S. military buildup ahead of an operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Its redeployment now would significantly expand American military presence across the Middle East.
Netanyahu talks
The escalation follows Trump’s talks with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the week at the White House, during which he said he urged Israel to allow negotiations with Iran to continue.
Netanyahu has pushed Washington to pressure Tehran to curb its ballistic missile program and halt support for militant groups including Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any potential deal.
The Ford originally deployed in June 2025, meaning its crew is approaching an unusually long operational stretch, with no clear timeline yet on how long the renewed Middle East mission could last.
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