Washington sends a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East

American media reported that the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) ordered the deployment of a second aircraft carrier in the Middle East, at a time when President Donald Trump is considering taking military action against Iran.

Washington and Tehran began indirect talks last week on the future of the Iranian nuclear program, while Trump warned of “extremely painful” consequences for the Islamic Republic if a nuclear agreement was not reached.

Late last month, Trump sent the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and warships to the region, as part of his escalation of threats against Iran.

American media reported that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, accompanied by warships, would join that strike group after heading to the Middle East, from its current location in the Caribbean Sea.

The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and CBS reported on the Pentagon’s preparations and the expected deployment of the second aircraft carrier, citing unnamed officials.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions from Agence France-Presse in this regard.

According to the New York Times, the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford initially headed to the Caribbean region, as part of Trump’s pressure campaign on Venezuela.

The newspaper pointed out that some of the warplanes belonging to this aircraft carrier participated in the military operation that took place in Caracas on January 3, which led to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The American operation, whose goal was to arrest Maduro and his wife, resulted in the killing of at least 55 people, including 23 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 members of the Cuban security forces. The number of civilian deaths is still unknown, but some sources indicate that the total number ranges between 70 and 80 dead. It is not clear how long the American aircraft carriers Ford and Lincoln will remain in the Middle East.