US deploys 3rd aircraft carrier — the USS George WH Bush — to Middle East as Iran war rumbles on

A third U.S. aircraft carrier strike group is set to head to the Middle East amid ongoing conflict with Iran.

The USS George H.W. Bush is returning to the Middle East, prepared for military engagement.


Stay informed with The Post’s live updates on President Trump and national politics for the latest developments and insights.


The USS George H.W. Bush, accompanied by a fleet of support vessels, will be deployed to the Middle East, as announced by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday.


The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier, with sailors lined up on deck, departs Naval Station Norfolk assisted by tugboats.
A third US aircraft carrier strike group is deploying to the Middle East as war with Iran rages on. Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet

The announcement followed the departure of the Bush carrier group from its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, which was initially described as a routine deployment by Navy Times.

This carrier group will join two others already stationed in the region: the USS Gerald Ford, currently in the Mediterranean Sea, and the USS Abraham Lincoln, located in the Arabian Sea.


Follow The Post’s coverage of the United States’ airstrikes on Iran:


The Bush’s deployment came as Trump and Hegseth have been warning that the most decisive days of the month-long war in Iran will soon be unfolding, and as thousands of US troops have begun deploying for the region for possible on-the-ground operations.


A Navy spouse makes a heart gesture with her hands towards the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) as it departs Naval Station Norfolk.
A Navy spouse gestures towards a Sailor assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush as the ship departs Naval Station Norfolk to begin operations in support of its scheduled deployment, March 31, 2026. Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet

Iran has been being hammered by US and Israeli rockets since their supreme leader – Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – was killed alongside 50 top government officials in a crushing surprise attack on Feb. 28.

But Tehran has managed to largely close the Strait of Hormuz – a critical bottleneck in global oil distribution – and left markets reeling as the conflict rages on.

But President Trump has also indicated he could be willing to end the war in Iran without wresting control Hormuz from Iran.

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