WASHINGTON — The United States has reduced the number of aircraft carriers it has stationed in the Middle East,
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it has moved USS Theodore Roosevelt from the region. That decision leaves the U.S. with just one carrier in the vicinity: USS Abraham Lincoln.
Both carriers have been in place since August 23 to provide presence, as Israel continues its war with Hamas.
"Following a period of dual carrier coverage by the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and the Abraham Lincoln CSG in the CENTCOM region, the Theodore Rosevelt has departed and begun its transit into the Indo-Pacific area of operations," said Major General Pat Ryder, Department of Defense Press Secretary.
Despite the switch, Ryder insisted that the U.S. maintains a "robust force posture."
He declined to say if this move meant that the Roosevelt would return to its home port of San Diego.