### [2026-04-29](/feed/2026/04/29/index.md) ##### Middle Eastern crisis # "The Washington Post" reports that the USS "Gerald R. Ford" will exit the Middle East and return to the U.S. state of Virginia in the coming days around mid-May after spending 10 months at sea. ### Sources: 1. [The Times of Israel](https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/uss-gerald-r-ford-to-leave-mideast-in-coming-days-return-to-virginia-report/) 2. [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/29/us-aircraft-carrier-iran-war/) 3. [WTKR](https://www.wtkr.com/news/military/norfolk-based-uss-gerald-r-ford-to-depart-middle-east-set-to-head-home-after-record-breaking-deployment-wapo) ### Related: 1. [U.S. Central Command confirms that the George H. W. Bush has arrived in the Middle East. ](/feed/2026/04/24/us-central-command-confirms-that-the-george-h-w-bush-has-arrived-in-the-middle-east.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_ 2. [The cruise ship "Aroya" arrives in the Gulf of Oman, becoming the latest of six cruise ships in the Middle East to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the war started on February 28. ](/feed/2026/04/20/the-cruise-ship-aroya-arrives-in-the-gulf-of-oman-becoming-the-latest-of-six-cruise-ships-in-the-middle-east-to-cross.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_ 3. [Poland refuses a request by the United States to relocate its Patriot air defense systems to the Middle East for the Iran war. ](/feed/2026/03/31/poland-refuses-a-request-by-the-united-states-to-relocate-its-patriot-air-defense-systems-to-the-middle-east-for-the-ira.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_ 4. [Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian apologizes for Iran's attacks on its Middle Eastern neighbors and states that the Interim Leadership Council had agreed not to attack them "unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries". The military later continues the strikes. The governments of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE report attacks targeting their territories. ](/feed/2026/03/7/iranian-president-masoud-pezeshkian-apologizes-for-iran-s-attacks-on-its-middle-eastern-neighbors-and-states-that-the-in.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_ 5. [Dubai International Airport suspends operations after an aerial interception near the airport during Iranian drone and missile attacks in the region. Airport operations later partially resume as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues responding to the aerial threats. ](/feed/2026/03/7/dubai-international-airport-suspends-operations-after-an-aerial-interception-near-the-airport-during-iranian-drone-and-m.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_ 6. [Abigail Spanberger is elected as the governor of Virginia to become the state's first female governor. ](/feed/2025/11/4/abigail-spanberger-is-elected-as-the-governor-of-virginia-to-become-the-state-s-first-female-governor.md) _Context: U.S. state, Virginia_ 7. [Democratic senator Tim Kaine of Virginia introduces legislation to prevent U.S. president Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without Congress's authorization. ](/feed/2025/06/16/democratic-senator-tim-kaine-of-virginia-introduces-legislation-to-prevent-us-president-donald-trump-from-using-milita.md) _Context: Middle Eastern crisis, Virginia_ 8. [The Virginia House of Delegates votes to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment decades after its deadline passed. As the amendment nonetheless now has enough states for it to be fully adopted, legal scholars are divided on whether this means the Constitution of the United States has been amended. ](/feed/2020/01/15/the-virginia-house-of-delegates-votes-to-ratify-the-equal-rights-amendment-decades-after-its-deadline-passed-as-the-ame.md) _Context: U.S. state, Virginia_ 9. [A protest against the alleged "appalling" treatment by the United States of Bradley Manning occurs in London, with supporters from Wales, where Manning attended school, attending. [https:--www.bbc.co.uk-news-uk-wales-12800705 (BBC)] [http:--www.walesonline.co.uk-news-wales-news-2011-03-20-usa-treatment-of-wikileaks-suspect-bradley-manning-appalling-mp-ann-clwyd-91466-28368202- (Wales Online)]A rally occurs in Quantico in the U.S. state of Virginia where Manning is currently imprisoned. [http:--www.wtkr.com-news-sns-ap-dc--wikileaks-armyprivate-rally,0,1192790.story (AP via WTKR)]date=May 2020 [http:--www.huffingtonpost.com-2011-03-19-human-rights-activists-protest-abuse-bradley-manning_n_838006.html (Huffington Post)]American security forces arrest 35 people protesting against the "torture" of Manning at Quantico during an event addressed by, among others, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. [http:--www2.insidenova.com-news-2011-mar-20-2-hundreds-rally-quantico-suspected-wikileaks-whistl-ar-916404- (Inside NoVA)]date=August 2019 [http:--www.google.com-hostednews-ap-article-ALeqM5hSSr7plWJ9p7GhIwVQVs_GxM1BHQ?docId=270cbb484a194ad0b99bdcaab1840338 (AP via Google News)] [http:--www.newsday.com-news-nation-about-30-arrested-at-rally-for-wikileaks-suspect-1.2772325 (Newsday)] [http:--washingtonexaminer.com-blogs-capital-land-2011-03-protestors-arrested-defending-alleged-wiki-leaker (Washington Examiner)]date=August 2019 Ellsberg, who leaked information about U.S. government lies during the Vietnam War, says he does not mind being arrested in Manning's name, claiming "I was that young man; I was Bradley Manning". [https:--web.archive.org-web-20110322003620-http:--articles.cnn.com-2011-03-19-us-wikileaks.ellsberg.manning_1_daniel-ellsberg-pentagon-papers-young-man?_s=PM:US (CNN)]American security forces arrest 35 people protesting against the "torture" of Manning at Quantico during an event addressed by, among others, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. [http:--www2.insidenova.com-news-2011-mar-20-2-hundreds-rally-quantico-suspected-wikileaks-whistl-ar-916404- (Inside NoVA)]date=August 2019 [http:--www.google.com-hostednews-ap-article-ALeqM5hSSr7plWJ9p7GhIwVQVs_GxM1BHQ?docId=270cbb484a194ad0b99bdcaab1840338 (AP via Google News)] [http:--www.newsday.com-news-nation-about-30-arrested-at-rally-for-wikileaks-suspect-1.2772325 (Newsday)] [http:--washingtonexaminer.com-blogs-capital-land-2011-03-protestors-arrested-defending-alleged-wiki-leaker (Washington Examiner)]date=August 2019 ](/feed/2011/03/20/a-protest-against-the-alleged-appalling-treatment-by-the-united-states-of-bradley-manning-occurs-in-london-with-suppo.md) _Context: U.S. state, Virginia_ 10. [The U.S. state of Virginia is reported to be Googling "WikiLeaks" more than any part of the country. ](/feed/2010/12/10/the-us-state-of-virginia-is-reported-to-be-googling-wikileaks-more-than-any-part-of-the-country.md) _Context: U.S. state, Virginia_