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The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group is scheduled to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea “in the coming days,” according to two US officials.

Officials confirm the carrier will return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, as initially planned, to prepare for future missions. Despite the Ford’s departure, the US maintains significant military capabilities in the region, with the flexibility to deploy additional cruisers and destroyers.

The Ford, the US Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, was diverted to the area following Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin deployed the carrier and accompanying warships to prevent Hezbollah and Iran from escalating the conflict.

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower remains deployed to the Middle East, actively countering threats in the Gulf of Aden, where Houthi militants have recently escalated attacks. US Navy destroyers from both the Ford and Eisenhower strike groups have engaged in defensive actions to deter aggression from Houthi militants.