Gulf US aircraft carrier pulls out
USS Theodore Roosevelt will leave the Gulf sometime in October.
Gulf to be left without aircraft carrier for first time in 7 years
NEW YORK // The US navy has announced that it will be pulling its sole aircraft carrier out of the Gulf this autumn – leaving the region without a naval strike force for the first time in seven years.
The absence of an aircraft carrier in the Gulf just as the Iran nuclear deal is expected to come into effect this autumn has drawn criticism from some US legislators. But analysts say the short-term gap is not militarily significant and the United States still has a huge amount of firepower stationed in the region to deter Tehran and carry out air strikes against ISIL.
The Obama administration has used its naval power in the Gulf, spearheaded by the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, as a crucial element of its bid to reassure GCC allies over its commitment to countering Tehran. In April it deployed the carrier to block Iranian ships from delivering weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen.
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Source: thenational.ae
