Satellite Images Capture US Aircraft Carrier Near Iran’s Doorstep
European Space Agency’s satellite images reveal the presence of a US aircraft carrier near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such deployment to Bahrain since 2020.
Kokcha News Agency – Satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 has captured the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships approaching the Strait of Hormuz and heading north into the Persian Gulf. The USS Nimitz-led Carrier Strike Group 11, supported by guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, has arrived in Bahrain, becoming the first aircraft carrier to dock in the country since 2020.
Former US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Joseph Votel, in an assessment shared with Newsweek, noted a “significant” increase in the US military presence in the region over the past year. The USS Nimitz was last deployed in the Persian Gulf nearly a year ago and was redirected to the Middle East during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June.
CENTCOM’s operational areas include strategic chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, covering 21 countries and approximately 6.5 million square kilometers of maritime territory. The US’s increased military presence in the region is seen as part of a strategy to counter Iran’s nuclear activities, proxy groups, and threats to allies.
