US to repatriate USS Gerald Ford from Mediterranean, ABC reports
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The United States is bringing back home the USS Gerald Ford as it is set to leave the Eastern Mediterranean within a few days.
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The USS Gerald R. Ford on October 28, 2022 in Halifax (AP)
The United States has taken the decision to bring back aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford from the Eastern Mediterranean after it was sent there in light of October 7's Operation al-Aqsa Flood, two US officials told ABC News on Sunday.
USS Ford is the US Navy's newest and largest aircraft carrier and right before the end of its first operational deployment, it was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in a possible bid to stoke tensions in the region that was already in a fragile state due to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the broad US support it was receiving in light of the onslaught.
The United States claimed that the deployment was for deterrence purposes, namely against the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance movement and other regional Resistance and liberation movements and factions.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed at the time the aircraft carrier was sent that its deployment came "As part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas' attack on Israel."
The deployment was extended for a third time in December, with Austin claiming that deterrence was still needed amid heightened regional tensions.
USS Gerald Ford and several other ships that comprise its strike group would be returning to Norfolk, Virginia, the carrier's home port, as originally scheduled so that it could prepare for future redeployments.
"We have nothing to announce today," a Pentagon spokesperson said when asked for a comment by ABC News, after the aforementioned officials said the departure of the aircraft carrier would take place in the "coming days".
The US' acrobatic moves in the region were accompanied by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower being ordered to joint the Ford in the eastern Mediterranean before its trajectory was diverted and ended up in the Gulf as an act of deterrence against Iran and the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement.
This development comes amid an increase in attacks on Israeli and Israeli-bound vessels in the Red Sea. The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement has expressed that these acts come as a form of protest against the Israeli occupation's ongoing onslaught in Gaza.
Ansar Allah has made public declarations, vowing to persist with their attacks until aid is allowed entry into Gaza and until the Israeli occupation forces cease the military hostilities in Gaza.
Failure to counter Yemen
Some two weeks have passed since the Pentagon announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian. However, it continues to be haunted by the reluctant participation of its members and uncertainty behind the operation's objectives.
Major member countries have announced stepping back or scaling down on commitment to the alliance, including France, which said it will not be operating under Washington's orders and will limit its operations to protect EU vessels, and Spain, which declared it will not participate entirely.
Upon announcing the anti-Yemen force, the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned the US on December 20 against attacking Yemen, stressing that American battleships and vessels would become a target for Yemeni missiles in the event of any attack.
Moreover, according to the stated objectives of the mission, the US Navy and its allies will seek to escort tens of ships through the Red Sea a day, which speaks to the sheer magnitude of the task at hand.
Yemen warns US against hostilities
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, issued a warning on Friday, stating, "We caution the American enemy of the repercussions of any escalation against our nation and our people."
Brigadier General Saree, through his account on X, added, "We caution all nations against getting involved or cooperating with the United States in protecting the Zionist enemy's ships."
He emphasized that Yemen's stance on the Palestinian issue is "steadfast and principled, and will remain unchanged, regardless of developments or challenges," adding that the YAF are fully prepared and ready to counter any aggression.
Saree addressed Washington, saying, "You should heed the warnings of the leader of the Ansar Allah movement."
It is noteworthy that Saree has reiterated more than once that the YAF will continue to carry out military operations in the Red and Arabian seas against Israeli ships or vessels bound to the Israeli occupation entity until needed food and medicine are delivered to the Gaza Strip, confirming that the army is "fully committed to ensuring the continued maritime navigation to all destinations except to the Israeli entity."
