02.03.2026 00:06
Following the United States' attack on Iran in conjunction with Israel, France is also sending an aircraft carrier to the region. After 60 ships flying the French flag or owned by French companies became stranded in the Persian Gulf, the Paris government diverted the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its accompanying vessels from their mission in the Baltic Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean.
After the US, which launched an attack on Iran together with Israel, another country is sending an aircraft carrier to the region.
FRENCH AIRCRAFT CARRIER HAS SET SAIL According to the French channel BFMTV, following the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, Iran responded with attacks on targets it identified in some regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where US bases are located. During a period of congestion in ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its accompanying ships interrupted their missions in the Baltic Sea. Charles de Gaulle and its accompanying ships were sent to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle 60 FRENCH SHIPS STRANDED IN THE PERSIAN GULF Laurent Martens, General Representative of the French Shipowners' Association Armateurs de France, stated in a press release that 60 ships flying the French flag or owned by French companies are stranded in the Persian Gulf. Martens noted that these ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz and, following the French navy's instructions to seek refuge in a safe place, were pulled to some ports in the region, adding that the crew is safe. Martens assessed that French ships were not a "primary target" in the Iranian attacks.
THE US HAD SENT TWO AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AT ONCE On January 28, US President Donald Trump announced on his social media account that a massive "Armada" (a large naval force belonging to the US Navy) was advancing towards Iran, calling on the Tehran administration to reach an agreement, otherwise a "worse attack" would be carried out. Trump indicated that this Armada is larger than the fleet sent to Venezuela, led by the "USS Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier, stating, "(The fleet) is ready, willing, and capable of carrying out its mission quickly and violently if necessary, just like in Venezuela."
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) also announced on January 26 that the "USS Abraham Lincoln" aircraft carrier strike group was deployed to the Middle East to "support regional security and stability." On February 13, Trump ordered the aircraft carrier "USS Gerald R. Ford" and its accompanying ships stationed in the Caribbean to be sent to the Middle East. This strike group first anchored at Greece's Crete Island before heading to the Eastern Mediterranean.
USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier US-ISRAEL'S ATTACKS ON IRAN Israel and the US launched a military attack on Iran on February 28 while negotiations were ongoing between the Tehran and Washington administrations. Iran responded with attacks on targets it identified in some regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, where US bases are located. In the US-Israel attacks, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as many high-ranking officials, lost their lives. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that 201 people lost their lives and 747 were injured in the bombings targeting the country.