THE United States is preparing to deploy a new aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East in the coming weeks, replacing an existing carrier as the conflict with Iran continues, according to the US Naval Institute (USNI).
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group is expected to depart San Diego within several weeks for a deployment lasting more than seven months, USNI reported.
AFP reported on Friday that the carrier will replace the USS George Washington, which left Japan and arrived in the Middle East last week after taking over from the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The deployment of the USS George Washington comes amid reports of mounting pressure and suicide attempts among the USS Abraham Lincoln's crew, which has been at sea since November 2025.
The acting US Secretary of the Navy has previously dismissed concerns over the condition of the crew.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is scheduled to make a port call in Thailand next week, allowing its approximately 5,000 sailors to rest and replenish supplies.
The United States has maintained an aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea to conduct strike missions against Iran since Washington and Israel launched attacks in late February. The carrier was later also used to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
USNI, a private military association that publishes research and analysis on national security issues, quoted senior officials, including US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle, as saying the Navy was seeking to reduce pressure on sailors and their families following some of the longest deployments in decades.
The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Thursday.
The movement of the USS George Washington from Japan also means the United States currently has no aircraft carrier in the Pacific, where such assets are typically deployed as part of Washington's efforts to counter China.
The USS Abraham Lincoln left California in November 2025 for operations in the South China Sea but was later redirected to the Middle East ahead of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
The planned deployment of the USS Theodore Roosevelt underscores the continuing strain on the US Navy as Washington seeks to sustain its military presence in the Middle East while maintaining its strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. - August 28, 2026
