USS Gerald R. Ford set to dock in Haifa as US expands military presence in region

Haifa, the expected destination for the carrier, was heavily affected during the Israel-Iran war in June.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The United States is expanding its military presence near Israel as part of a broader buildup in the Middle East, with the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford expected to arrive off Israel’s coast and dock in Haifa on Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is moving into the eastern Mediterranean as Washington and Jerusalem prepare for the possibility of a wider confrontation with Iran.

The carrier is leading Carrier Strike Group 12, which entered the Mediterranean Sea after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, a movement tracked by multiple outlets that monitor US naval deployments. The US Navy has not publicly confirmed the precise timing of the carrier’s arrival in Haifa.

Alongside the naval deployment, the United States has moved additional air and logistical assets into Israel.

US tanker aircraft, cargo planes, and aerial refueling aircraft have arrived at Israeli airports, while maritime support assets have reached Israeli ports, according to the information provided.

Haifa, the expected destination for the carrier, was heavily affected during the Israel-Iran war in June.

Missile strikes caused structural damage to residential buildings and municipal facilities and left dozens of people injured.

The city is home to the headquarters of the Israel Navy and the country’s largest oil refinery. That facility was hit during the fighting, forcing a partial and temporary shutdown of several secondary operations.

Iran has previously threatened to target the port of Haifa, which was identified as a major objective during the war.

The Ford’s arrival will significantly increase the number of US service members deployed in the region.

More than 40,000 American personnel are already stationed across Middle Eastern military bases and naval assets.

The addition of the carrier strike group is expected to bring several thousand more troops into the theater.

The military buildup has been accompanied by adjustments to the US diplomatic posture in the region.

On Monday, dozens of non-essential personnel were evacuated from the US Embassy in Beirut via Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.

The evacuation was described as “a precautionary measure due to anticipated regional developments,” according to Lebanese broadcaster LBCI. The report was later confirmed by the US State Department.

US officials have spent recent weeks steadily increasing air and naval deployments across the Middle East, reinforcing an already substantial presence as tensions linked to Iran continue to escalate.