Currently there are three American aircraft carrier groups in Middle East waters and near Iran in the context of Operation Epic Fury. By comparison, at the height of the Bush-ordered US invasion of Iraq in 2003, there were six total carrier groups - which were responsible for most of the large tomahawk missile strikes on Baghdad.
Amid the current extended ceasefire between the US and Iran (and including Israel), there are indicators that Washington is not preparing for a ground invasion of the Islamic Republic anytime soon. First and foremost is that the USS Gerald R. Ford is set to return to the United States after nearly a year deployed in wartime operations - as it was previously in the Caribbean focused on Venezuela ops.
Defense officials have newly told The Washington Post the carrier will leave the Middle East in the coming days and head back to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
The publication confirms, "The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will depart the Middle East and begin the sail for home in coming days, multiple U.S. officials said, an expected relief for roughly 4,500 sailors who have been deployed for 10 months - but a loss of significant firepower as peace talks between the United States and Iran stagnate."
Its departure will leave the USS George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea as the US Navy continues efforts to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports. Recent operations have seen dozens of Iranian vessels intercepted, even as others breached the blockade, with CENTCOM in a recent update saying that over 40 vessels have been turned back or intercepted.
There's still as yet no clear sign of imminent breakdown of the Iranian government or society, amid what's turned into a prolonged economic siege war - even though President Trump declared days ago that the Islamic Republic is 'fractured' and 'collapsing'.
The US retains additional carrier strike groups elsewhere, including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which remain available for potential deployment later this year.
The longer the Iran conflict drags on, the more likely it is that additional carrier groups could head toward Mideast regional waters, including patrolling the Mediterranean, near Israel.
The Ford's return follows a record deployment exceeding 300 days that spanned the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Most recently, it had to undergo significant repairs - first in Cyprus and then at port in Croatia, for what's been described as a laundry room fire and persistent maintenance problems during its extended mission.
The crew has been described as overstretched and exhausted, while there are reports the carrier has come under Iranian attack - though which the Pentagon has repeatedly denied posed any real threat.