US Deploys Aircraft Carrier Amid Israel-Iran Tensions

The American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has departed the waters of the South China Sea and is moving westward against the backdrop of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Reuters reports, citing sources and data from the Marine Traffic vessel tracking portal.

Previously, Military Watch magazine noted that an unprecedented number of US Air Force KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft are leaving their bases, suggesting that their departure might be linked to potential use in the Israel-Iran conflict.

“This is an extraordinary operational requirement,” an agency source stated regarding the carrier’s departure. According to other sources, the USS Nimitz was scheduled to visit the Vietnamese city of Da Nang on June 20, but that visit has been canceled.

The agency, citing the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, added that the group of US aircraft carriers led by the Nimitz conducted maritime security operations in the South China Sea last week.