The USS George H.W. Bush and its crew of nearly 5,000 sailors and aviators is not using the traditional route taken by East Coast ships to reach the Middle East, a Navy official confirmed.
USNI initially reported that the Norfolk-based carrier was moving around Africa to be part of the U.S. operation against Iran. To reach the Middle East, Navy ships from Norfolk typically go through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea.
Since the U.S. attacked Iran in late February, most of the focus has been on the Strait of Hormuz, where 20%of the world’s oil passes through. The coast of Yemen is another choke point, where Houthi Rebels, backed by Iran, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea during the last couple of years. While initially quiet, the Houthis fired missiles toward Israel in March. The longer route around Africa avoids the area.
Before the ship left Norfolk on March 31, Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, who is in charge of the Bush Carrier Strike Group, would not say when the carrier was expected to arrive in the Middle East or even where the ship was being directed. The situation in Iran has been fluid since the beginning of the conflict in late February, with Iran shutting down the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the U.S. and Israel began their bombing campaign.
At the moment, the United States has 10,000 troops,12 ships and more than 100 planes participating in the blockade, which began Monday, according to U.S. Central Command.
More ships are expected to arrive in the region, including minesweepers, as the Navy tries to escort commercial ships and tankers through the contested waterway.
When it arrives, USS Bush will be the third carrier in the region. USS Abraham Lincoln has been stationed well off the coast of Iran. Norfolk-based USS Gerald R. Ford remains in the region on its potentially record-setting deployment. Navy officials have said it will not return home until at least May. The carrier left June 24, 2025. It has been resupplied and received repairs after a fire in the laundry room displaced at least 600 sailors. The carrier remains in the Eastern Mediterranean days after leaving Croatia.
