U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford departs Greece for Middle East

The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford departed from the NATO naval facility at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete on Thursday morning, heading toward the Middle East, according to Greek daily Kathimerini.

According to reports, the vessel is expected to reach Israel within 24 hours.

The carrier arrived at Souda Bay on February 23 for resupply after experiencing repeated malfunctions in its onboard sewage system, U.S. media reported.

Commissioned in 2017, the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is 334 meters long, with a displacement exceeding 100,000 tonnes and a crew of nearly 4,600.

The aircraft carrier deployment took place on the day of the third round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva, Switzerland. In recent days, the U.S. side has continued to exert military pressure on Iran, amassing large-scale forces in the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that he is considering carrying out limited military strikes against Iran. Reports said the Gerald R. Ford would join the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group in the Middle East.