USS Theodore Roosevelt Returns Home as Pentagon Ends Rare Dual Carrier Deployment

The Pentagon has concluded its rare decision to keep two Navy aircraft carriers in the Middle East.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is returning home, having extended its deployment as the USS Abraham Lincoln was expedited to the region. This deployment boost, ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, aimed to bolster U.S. support for Israel amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and counter potential threats from Iran and its allies.

Historically, U.S. carriers have served as a key deterrent in the Middle East, and the recent overlap of the Roosevelt and Lincoln marks a significant increase in naval presence. The Roosevelt’s return coincides with the 11-month-long Gaza conflict, which has seen extensive casualties and stalled cease-fire negotiations.

Earlier in the year, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower provided support from the Red Sea during its record-setting deployment, addressing threats from Iranian-backed forces. The Roosevelt, alongside the USS Daniel Inouye destroyer, is scheduled to move to the Indo-Pacific region, while the USS Russell has already transitioned to the South China Sea. Meanwhile, other U.S. naval assets remain active in the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea.