US deploys largest aircraft carrier to Middle East in show of force 

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will deploy another carrier to the Middle East to join USS Abraham Lincoln and its guided-missile destroyers already in the region, US officials said on Friday, as US President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program.

One official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said USS Gerald R. Ford would take at least a week to reach the Middle East.

Considered the world's most powerful and advanced aircraft carrier, the Gerald R Ford was dispatched from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean in October as the Trump administration assembled a substantial military presence ahead of last month's operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.

The news of the deployment came as Trump warned Tehran on Thursday that failing to reach an agreement with his administration would prove "very traumatic."

"I guess over the next month, something like that," Trump said when asked about his timeline for reaching an agreement with Iran on its nuclear programme. "It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly."

With a displacement of 100,000 tons and a length of 334 meters, it features a flight deck capable of accommodating more than 75 aircraft, although it usually operates with an air wing of 60-70 aircraft.

The ship also features the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), meaning it can perform up to 160 sorties per day, compared to 120 on older carriers.

Its air wing includes F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft and MH-60 helicopters.

The ship is powered by A1B nuclear reactors that give it virtually unlimited range, not needing refuelling for its entire service life, which is estimated at 50 years.

The reactors generate enough energy to power a city of 100,000 inhabitants. Its defense systems include missile launchers, Phalanx cannons and state-of-the-art anti-missile batteries.

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The duration of the Middle East deployment remains unclear, but the assignment will result in an unusually extended period away from home port.

The United States most recently had two aircraft carriers in the area last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June.

With only 11 aircraft carriers in the US military's arsenal, they are a scarce resource and their schedules are usually set well in advance.

In a statement, US Southern Command, which oversees US military operations in Latin America, said it would continue to stay focused on countering "illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere."

Trump had said this week he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if a deal is not reached with Iran.

Trump held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday and told the Israeli leader negotiations with Iran must continue.

Netanyahu has urged the Trump administration to demand that Tehran scale back its ballistic missile program and cease support for militant groups that act as its proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, as components of any agreement.

If hostilities resume, Iran would most likely use its missile arsenal to target Israel and US bases in the region, but could also strike oil infrastructure and mine the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil is transported.

Tehran's military includes approximately 600,000 regular troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Tehran's air force is also seen as subpar, with Iran's older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters outmatched by fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and Israeli aircraft. — Agencies