USS Gerald R Ford sails into the Mediterranean
Photos by David Parody
The USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on Friday, amid tension between the US and Iran.
US President Donald Trump this week urged Tehran to strike a “meaningful” deal as a huge American military build-up takes shape in the Middle East amid US threats of action.
There is speculation that the USS Gerald F Ford is bound for the Middle East, where the US Navy already has another of its 11 carriers in the region, according to the BBC.
“It’s proven to be over the years not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran,” Mr Trump this week told the inaugural meeting of the so-called Board of Peace, his initiative to secure stability in Gaza.
“We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen.”
He warned that Washington “may have to take it a step further” without any agreement, adding: “You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
The aircraft carrier sailed past Gibraltar at about 1pm on Friday.
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20th February 2026
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