US Aircraft Carrier Nimitz Leaves South China Sea, Heads West Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
The USS Nimitz has left the South China Sea and is heading toward the Middle East amid rising Iran-Israel tensions, Reuters reports. A planned Vietnam port call was canceled due to “operational requirements,” signaling possible U.S. military repositioning in response to the crisis.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United States Navy's USS Nimitz aircraft carrier departed the South China Sea on Monday, heading west toward the Middle East amid intensifying hostilities between Iran and Israel, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, ship-tracking data from Marine Traffic showed the Nimitz moving westward early Monday, after a planned port call in Danang City, central Vietnam, was unexpectedly cancelled.
Two sources, including a diplomat, told Reuters that a formal reception scheduled for June 20 had been called off. One of the sources said the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi had cited “an emergent operational requirement” as the reason for the cancellation.
The embassy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Last week, the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group conducted maritime security operations in the South China Sea, described by the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet as part of the U.S. Navy’s “routine presence in the Indo-Pacific region,” Reuters noted.
The vessel's westward movement comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, with open military exchanges escalating between Israel and Iran in recent days.
While U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed the carrier’s new destination, Reuters pointed out the timing aligns with growing security concerns in the region.
The redeployment of the Nimitz, one of the U.S. Navy’s most powerful naval assets, signals a potential strategic response to evolving threats in the Middle East, as Washington continues to monitor the situation closely.
