Third US Aircraft Carrier Heads to Mideast as Iran War Continues

The USS George H.W. Bush departs Naval Station Norfolk, in this photograph released by the US Navy via DVIDS on March 31.Photographer: Petty Officer 2nd Class Derek Co/US Navy

Provide news feedback or report an error

March 31, 2026 at 9:56 PM UTC

A third US aircraft carrier strike group is heading to the Middle East as military operations against Iran continue, according to a US official familiar with the matter, after the Navy’s flagship carrier left the region for repairs.

The USS George H.W. Bush departed Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday for a deployment to the region along with an escort of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and is likely to take three weeks to get there, the person said, declining to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.