3 US carriers in Middle East with 200+ aircraft

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed three US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups are now operating simultaneously in the Middle East for the first time since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The USS Gerald R. Ford, USS George H.W. Bush, and USS Abraham Lincoln are deployed with more than 200 aircraft and 15,000 sailors and marines. This unprecedented concentration of naval power is dedicated to patrolling the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region, signaling a major US military commitment.