The USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier that has been deployed in the Middle East for an extended period due to increased tensions between Israel and Iran, is on its way back to the United States shores, specifically to its home base at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. This move signifies the end of a unique decision made by the Pentagon to have two US carrier vessels patrolling the waters of the Middle East region as a response to escalating geopolitical tensions following an Israeli assassination of a high-ranking Hamas official, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran during the summer.
Despite the return of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, there are still numerous smaller US warships in the Eastern Mediterranean area, where both Israel and Iran-linked Hezbollah continue to engage in daily exchanges of fire. Furthermore, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier remains stationed in the Gulf of Oman. The Lincoln arrived only a few weeks ago with the purpose of overlapping its presence with that of the Roosevelt before the latter was removed from the operational area.
The US Navy’s nuclear-powered carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which had previously been recalled from service in the Red Sea, is another example of the measures taken to maintain a strong ‘deterrent’ force in this conflict-ridden region. Even though these attempts have somewhat slowed down the attacks by Houthi rebels on shipping in the Red Sea, they have not ceased entirely.
According to the Times of Israel, Pentagon leaders claim that the presence of an aircraft carrier and other naval warships near Israel has helped deter a possible major Iranian retaliatory attack following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on July 31st. Anonymous US officials have revealed further details about the movements of these naval vessels.
The San Diego-based Roosevelt, along with the USS Daniel Inouye destroyer, is expected to be in the region under the jurisdiction of the Indo-Pacific Command by Thursday. The other destroyer in its strike group, the USS Russell, had already left the Middle East and has since been operating in the South China Sea.
As for the Lincoln carrier, which is now located in the Gulf of Oman alongside several other warships, it arrived in the Middle East approximately three weeks ago, allowing it to overlap with the presence of the Roosevelt until its recent departure.
It has also been reported that the guided missile submarine USS Georgia continues to operate within the Red Sea. The US Navy has previously acknowledged this ongoing naval conflict against the Houthis to be their most significant running sea battle since World War II. However, despite the severity of the situation and the constant threat faced by these ships, there has been no official declaration of war from Congress, and the American public has largely remained oblivious to the situation.
Commander Eric Blomberg with the USS Laboon remarked in June that, “I don’t think people really understand just kind of how deadly serious it is what we’re doing and how under threat the ships continue to be.” Iran continues to assert its readiness to strike Israel at any moment, while the White House has already pledged to use its regional assets to help intercept any incoming ballistic missiles or drones. This action takes place without any Congressional war authorization or oversight whatsoever.
