Three’s company: Trio of US carriers operating in Middle East for first time in decades

Three U.S. aircraft carriers are operating simultaneously in the Middle East for the first time since 2003, U.S. Central Command said on Friday, marking the largest concentration of naval power in the region in decades.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS George H.W. Bush are currently operating in the area’s waterways, the command said on social media, in addition to their carrier air wings and over 15,000 sailors and Marines.

Together, the three carriers bring together over 200 aircraft with capabilities ranging from electronic warfare to stealth striking. Some of the aircraft include the EA-18G Growler, F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18 Super Hornet and the CMV-22B Osprey.

Aircraft carriers serve as the focal point of U.S. naval power, as they are able to sustain air operations without relying on host-nation bases. Each carrier is accompanied by a strike group that often includes destroyers, cruisers and logistics support vessels.

At least twelve total ships are in the region: the three aircraft carriers and an assortment of accompanying destroyers, the command said. It did not include details about specific operations nor the duration of deployment.

The ships’ presence comes amid continuing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, including disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz .

The U.S. has implemented a blockade of Iranian ships and ports that CENTCOM reported in a separate post Friday had thus far “redirected” 34 ships.

The blockade began April 13, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Friday press briefing that it would continue for “as long as it takes, whatever President Trump decides.”

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

美国中央司令部周五表示，三艘美国航空母舰自 2003 年以来首次同时在中东地区执行任务，这标志着该地区几十年来海军力量的最大集中。

美国海军在社交媒体上表示，除了航母舰载机联队和超过 15,000 名水兵和海军陆战队员外，亚伯拉罕·林肯号航空母舰、杰拉尔德·R·福特号航空母舰和乔治·H·W·布什号航空母舰目前正在该地区的水道中执行任务。

这三艘航母共搭载超过200架飞机，具备从电子战到隐蔽打击等多种作战能力。这些飞机包括EA-18G“咆哮者”电子战飞机、F-35C“闪电II”战斗机、F/A-18“超级大黄蜂”战斗机和CMV-22B“鱼鹰”倾转旋翼机。

航空母舰是美国海军力量的核心，因为它们无需依赖东道国基地即可维持空中作战能力。每艘航母都配备一个打击群，通常包括驱逐舰、巡洋舰和后勤支援舰艇。

指挥部表示，该地区至少部署了十二艘舰艇：三艘航空母舰和若干艘护航驱逐舰。但并未透露具体作战行动的细节以及部署持续时间。

这些船只的出现正值美国和伊朗之间持续紧张局势之际，包括霍尔木兹海峡航运中断。

美国对伊朗船只和港口实施了封锁，中央司令部周五在另一篇帖子中报告称，迄今为止已“改变”了 34 艘船只的航向。

封锁始于 4 月 13 日，国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯在周五的新闻发布会上表示，封锁将持续“直到特朗普总统做出决定为止”。

伊芙·桑普森是一名记者，也是一名前陆军军官。她曾报道过世界各地的冲突，为《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》和美联社撰稿。