Hegseth Orders Pacific Aircraft Carrier to Middle East Amid Houthi Strikes
Story by Gabe Whisnant • 1h
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Navy's USS Carl Vinson, currently operating in the Pacific, to begin its transit to the Middle East amid escalating strikes on Yemen-based Houthi rebels, an official told the Associated Press.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing operations, said Hegseth also signed orders Thursday to extend the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman in the region for at least another month. The carrier has been active in the Red Sea targeting Houthi positions and was originally scheduled to return to Norfolk, Virginia, at the end of March.
Additionally, Hegseth has directed the USS Carl Vinson, currently operating in the Pacific, to begin its transit to the Middle East. This move will extend its deployment by approximately three months.
This will mark the second time in six months that two carrier strike groups have been stationed in the region—an area that typically sees just one. Before this recent pattern, it had been years since the U.S. committed such a significant naval force to the Middle East.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hegseth-orders-pacific-aircraft-carrier-to-middle-east-amid-houthi-strikes/ar-AA1BoNKI?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=885d3e939aae4a3fed2cad1ff7811a0a&ei=22
