### [2026-05-1](/feed/2026/05/1/index.md)

##### Middle Eastern crisis
# USS "Gerald R. Ford" officially exits the Middle East after taking part in operations in Iran during the war, leaving only the USS "Abraham Lincoln" and USS "George H. W. Bush" in the region. 




### Sources:

1. [AFP via ''The Straits Times](https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/uss-gerald-r-ford-aircraft-carrier-leaves-middle-east)

### Related:

1. ["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. ](/feed/2026/04/29/the-washington-post-reports-that-the-uss-gerald-r-ford-will-exit-the-middle-east-and-return-to-the-us-state-of-vi.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis, USS ''Gerald R. Ford''_
2. [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_
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. [Palestinian militant group Hamas calls for Iran to cease their attacks on Middle East neighbors during the war. They also reaffirm Tehran's right to defend itself from Israel and the United States. ](/feed/2026/03/14/palestinian-militant-group-hamas-calls-for-iran-to-cease-their-attacks-on-middle-east-neighbors-during-the-war-they-als.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_
5. [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_
6. [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_
7. [An Iranian ballistic missile strikes the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in the region. ](/feed/2026/03/4/an-iranian-ballistic-missile-strikes-the-al-udeid-air-base-in-qatar-the-largest-us-military-base-in-the-region.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_
8. [U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discloses that the initial U.S. attack on Iran was due to an Israeli intention to attack Iranian leadership, which would have jeopardized U.S. forces in the region. ](/feed/2026/03/3/us-secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-discloses-that-the-initial-us-attack-on-iran-was-due-to-an-israeli-intention-to-at.md) _Context: Middle East, Middle Eastern crisis_
9. [The U.S. military shoots down an Iranian Shahed 139 drone on approach to the aircraft carrier USS "Abraham Lincoln" with an F-35 fighter jet. ](/feed/2026/02/3/the-us-military-shoots-down-an-iranian-shahed-139-drone-on-approach-to-the-aircraft-carrier-uss-abraham-lincoln-with.md) _Context: Middle Eastern crisis, USS ''Abraham Lincoln''_
10. [United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin orders the USS "Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier strike group and the USS "Georgia" SSGN cruise-missile submarine to the Middle East to defend Israel from possible retaliation from Iran and to strengthen the U.S. military position in the region. ](/feed/2024/08/12/united-states-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-orders-the-uss-abraham-lincoln-aircraft-carrier-strike-group-and-the-u.md) _Context: Middle East, USS ''Abraham Lincoln''_