U.S. pulls last aircraft carrier from Pacific to Middle East amid Iran war
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The United States is pulling its last aircraft carrier from the Pacific as President Donald Trump’s war with Iran strains the Navy and shifts Washington’s focus toward the Middle East and Western Hemisphere.
The USS George Washington is leaving the Pacific and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East as concerns grow over mental health and supply problems aboard the long-deployed carrier.
The Lincoln’s deployment has been extended beyond its planned return in May to support U.S. military operations against Iran.
The Pacific could regain an American carrier within the next few months if the Navy deploys another ship, but analysts say the temporary absence highlights the strain caused by prolonged operations in the Middle East.
“The administration says that the Pacific is supposed to be the most important behind the Western Hemisphere,” Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said. Instead, he said, Washington is doing the opposite of its previously stated goal of reducing its military focus on the Middle East.
The shift has unsettled U.S. allies in the Pacific, while China is benefiting from Washington’s distraction and growing frustration among its regional partners, Poling said.
Beijing views the U.S. military presence as an obstacle to its ambitions, including its goal of bringing Taiwan under Chinese control. Washington has maintained that the Pacific is strategically and economically important.