March 22, 2025 (EIRNS)—An unnamed U.S. official told AP on March 21 that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to stay in the Red Sea for at least an extra month—its deployment was originally scheduled to end at the end of March—and a second carrier, the USS Carl Vinson to head to the region. The San Diego-based Vinson is currently operating in the Western Pacific where it has been participating in exercises around the Korean Peninsula. It is expected to arrive in the region early next month, but which location it will end up in—whether in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, or somewhere in between—is not reported.
“The presence of so much U.S. naval power in the region not only gives commanders additional ships to patrol and launch strikes, but it also serves as a clear message of deterrence to Iran,” AP notes.
