NYN | News
US officials announced on Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has begun its journey back to the United States after completing its deployment in the Middle East. It was initially expected to replace the USS Eisenhower to confront attacks from Sanaa government forces but did not approach the designated military operations area.
According to the Associated Press, the US Department of Defense ended its “rare move” of keeping two Navy aircraft carriers in the Middle East over the past few weeks, with the “Roosevelt” now en route back to its base in San Diego.
US officials confirmed that the “Roosevelt” reached the US Indo-Pacific Command area on Thursday, as reported by the agency.
The “Roosevelt” arrived in the region in July to replace the “Eisenhower,” which withdrew from the Red Sea after nearly nine months of deployment. During that time, the “Eisenhower” faced intense fighting, which US Navy commanders described as “the fiercest since World War II,” including repeated missile and drone attacks by Sanaa government forces.
Despite the “Roosevelt’s” presence in the region, it remained stationed in the Gulf of Oman and the far eastern Arabian Sea, without approaching the operational area of Sanaa forces.
This comes amidst a reduction in the presence of US warships in the Red Sea to zero, indicating US caution in avoiding attacks by Sanaa forces on warships and aircraft carriers if they approach the operational zone.
The withdrawal of the “Roosevelt” coincided with the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the region, which is expected to operate in the “Operation Prosperity” area to counter attacks from Sanaa forces. However, it has not yet entered the Red Sea.
In August, the American magazine National Interest reported that the successive rotations of aircraft carriers highlight the depletion of US naval capabilities, with not enough carriers available to address various threats. Additionally, prolonged deployments result in longer and more costly maintenance periods.
US military actions in the Middle East are part of the United States’ support for Israel in its war on Gaza.
Despite the US military buildup in the Red Sea and the significant spending aimed at deterring Sanaa forces from supporting Gaza, Sanaa forces continue their attacks in support of the Palestinian resistance, targeting ships linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports within their maritime operations area.
