U.S. Orders Second Aircraft Carrier to Middle East

The Trump administration has extended the deployment of an aircraft carrier already at sea for nearly eight months, sending it and its escort ships to the Middle East as President Donald Trump pressures Iran to make a new nuclear deal, officials said Friday.

The U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford received the directive while sailing in the Caribbean Sea and is expected to make its way across the Atlantic Ocean in the coming days, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss military movements. Another person said the Ford's crew, which includes about 4,200 sailors, had been notified of the change.

It was not immediately clear whether the Ford’s accompanying warships would also be sent to the Middle East or if other destroyers and vessels would swap in to sail with the carrier.

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