US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Arabian Gulf

The USS Mitscher, center, and other vessels in a strike group sail behind the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier on December 21, 2018. (AP)
The USS Mitscher, center, and other vessels in a strike group sail behind the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier on December 21, 2018. (AP)
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US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Arabian Gulf

The USS Mitscher, center, and other vessels in a strike group sail behind the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier on December 21, 2018. (AP)
The USS Mitscher, center, and other vessels in a strike group sail behind the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier on December 21, 2018. (AP)

A US aircraft carrier arrived in the Arabian Gulf Friday for the first time since Washington withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May.

The arrival of the USS John C. Stennis comes as Iranian officials have returned to repeatedly threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz, which a third of all oil traded by sea passes.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels shadowed the Stennis and its strike group, at one point launching rockets away from it and flying a drone nearby, reported The Associated Press.

The long absence of a carrier, however, could become a standard practice here as now-outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sought to shake up naval operations and American air bases spanning the region can scramble fighter jets and drones.

"We are trying to be more operationally unpredictable," said Lt. Chloe Morgan, a spokeswoman for US' Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. "Now we're switching it up because our adversaries are watching closely. We want to be operationally unpredictable to our enemies, but strategically predictable to our partners."

Tensions have been high since President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the nuclear deal, which saw sanctions lifted for Tehran limiting its uranium enrichment.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has repeatedly warned any attempt to stop Iran's export of crude oil could see it close off the Hormuz Strait.



Trump to Meet with Syria’s Sharaa as He Weighs Easing Sanctions after Assad’s Overthrow

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
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Trump to Meet with Syria’s Sharaa as He Weighs Easing Sanctions after Assad’s Overthrow

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 07 May 2025. (EPA)

President Donald Trump will meet Wednesday in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who last year led the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.

“The President agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow," the White House said.

The US has been weighing how to handle Sharaa since he took power in December.

Then-President Joe Biden left the decision to Trump, whose administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.

As he prepared to leave Washington, Trump said he’s weighing removing sanctions on the Syrian government.

“We may want to take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,” said Trump, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged him to do so.

The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who has been deeply skeptical of Sharaa.

Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaeda insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003 and still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq.

Sharaa, whom the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al-Qaeda, came back to his home country after the conflict began in 2011 where he led al-Qaeda’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and cut links with al-Qaeda.