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Pentagon Has Ordered a US Aircraft Carrier to Remain in the Mediterranean near Israel

This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launching from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 12, 2023. (AFP)
This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launching from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Pentagon Has Ordered a US Aircraft Carrier to Remain in the Mediterranean near Israel

This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launching from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 12, 2023. (AFP)
This handout picture courtesy of the US Navy released on October 15, 2203 shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to the "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launching from the flight deck of the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 12, 2023. (AFP)

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and one other warship to remain in the Mediterranean Sea for several more weeks to maintain a two-carrier presence near Israel as its war with Hamas grinds on, US officials said.
It would be the third time the Ford’s deployment has been extended, underscoring the continued concerns about volatility in the region during Israel’s war in Gaza. The US has two aircraft carriers in the region, a rarity in recent years, The Associated Press said.
Multiple US officials confirmed the longer deployments approved this week for the Ford and the USS Normandy cruiser on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public. Other ships in the Ford's strike group had already had their deployments extended.
The Pentagon ramped up its military presence in the region after Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks to deter Iran from widening the war into a regional conflict. In the months since, Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria have seized on the war to conduct regular attacks with rockets, drones and missiles on US military installations there.
At the same time, US warships in the Red Sea have intercepted incoming missiles fired toward Israel from areas of Yemen controlled by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. They’ve also shot down one-way attack drones headed toward the ships and responded to calls for assistance from commercial vessels that have come under persistent Houthi attacks near the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
As of Friday, there are 19 US warships in the region, including seven in the eastern Mediterranean and 12 more stretched down the Red Sea, across the Arabian Sea and up into the Arabian Gulf.
Austin ordered the Ford and its strike group to sail to the eastern Mediterranean on Oct. 8, a day after the attack by Hamas that set off the war.
The decision to keep the Ford — the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier — in the region comes as Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said Thursday it will take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war.
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat in Gaza, but they repeated their determination to press the fight until Hamas is crushed.
The Ford’s roughly 5,000 sailors have been waiting for a Pentagon decision on whether they would get to go home for the holidays. The ship left Norfolk, Virginia, in early May to deploy to US European Command, and under its original schedule it would have been home by early November.
The original plan was for the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group to replace the Ford in the region. But Sabrina Singh, in a Pentagon briefing on Oct. 17, said Austin had decided to extend the Ford’s deployment and have both the Eisenhower and Ford covering the waters from southern Europe to the Middle East.
US military commanders have long touted the effectiveness of American aircraft carriers as a deterrent, including against attacks, hijackings and other aggressive behavior by Iran and its ships, including strikes on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Houthis.
Officials said the plan is to keep the Ford there for several more weeks.
The Eisenhower is in the Gulf of Oman and has been patrolling in the Middle East along with the USS Philippine Sea, a Navy cruiser. And three warships — the USS Carney, the USS Stethem and the USS Mason, all Navy destroyers — have been moving through the Bab el-Mandeb daily to help deter and respond to attacks from the Houthis.
Other ships that are part of the Ford’s strike group include the destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.
While the US regularly maintained two aircraft carriers in the Middle East during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, in recent years it has tried to turn its attention and naval presence to the Asia Pacific.

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World

Iran Nobel Winner Mohammadi ‘Between Life and Death’, Say Supporters

Chirinne Ardakani, lawyer for Iran's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital intensive care unit in Tehran, speaks during a news conference, while sitting next to Mona Armande of the Narges Mohammadi Association, in Paris, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP)
Chirinne Ardakani, lawyer for Iran's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital intensive care unit in Tehran, speaks during a news conference, while sitting next to Mona Armande of the Narges Mohammadi Association, in Paris, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP)
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Iran Nobel Winner Mohammadi ‘Between Life and Death’, Say Supporters

Chirinne Ardakani, lawyer for Iran's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital intensive care unit in Tehran, speaks during a news conference, while sitting next to Mona Armande of the Narges Mohammadi Association, in Paris, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP)
Chirinne Ardakani, lawyer for Iran's imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, who was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital intensive care unit in Tehran, speaks during a news conference, while sitting next to Mona Armande of the Narges Mohammadi Association, in Paris, Tuesday, May 5, 2026. (AP)

Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi is fighting for her life after being hospitalized under guard for the last five days with a heart condition, her supporters said on Tuesday.

"We are not just fighting for the freedom of Narges, we are fighting so that her heart continues to beat," said her Paris-based lawyer Chirinne Ardakani at a news conference of her supporters, adding that the 2023 laureate was now "between life and death".

Jonathan Dagher of Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which is also part of her support committee, said: "This is the first time we are saying that she is between life and death, that there is a risk of death."

"We must act before it is too late," he added.

Mohammadi, who has spent much of the past two decades in and out of prison for her activism, was arrested most recently in December after denouncing Iranian authorities at a funeral for a lawyer.

Already suffering from a heart condition, she had two suspected heart attacks on March 24 and May 1 in prison in Zanjan in northern Iran, according to her supporters.

After the most recent incident, she was rushed to hospital in Zanjan for treatment but remains under constant guard, Ardakani said.

Mohammadi is experiencing an "unprecedented degradation" of her health, said Ardakani.

"We have never been so afraid for Narges's life; she could leave us at any moment," she added.

Mohammadi has lost 20 kilograms (44 pounds) in prison, has difficulty speaking and is currently "unrecognizable" from her former state before her latest arrest.

Her supporters want Mohammadi to be transferred to Tehran for treatment by her personal medical team but there has been no sign of her being moved from Zanjan.

Mohammadi's twin teenage children and her husband live in Paris and Ardakani urged the French foreign ministry and President Emmanuel Macron to take a tougher line on her case.

"We are expecting the president of the republic (Macron) to take a strong position. I don't think this is something excessive," she said.

World

Macron Says US and EU Are Wasting Time on Tariff Threats as Trump Fumes Over Germany

France's President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by people in Gyumri on May 5, 2026. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by people in Gyumri on May 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Macron Says US and EU Are Wasting Time on Tariff Threats as Trump Fumes Over Germany

France's President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by people in Gyumri on May 5, 2026. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron is greeted by people in Gyumri on May 5, 2026. (AFP)

Europe and the United States have more important things to do than waste time on tariff threats, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, after President Donald Trump announced higher duties on European vehicles.

Trump said on Friday that he would increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union this week to 25%, a move that could further harm the global economy as it reels from war in the Middle East.

“Especially in the geopolitical period we are experiencing, allies like the United States of America and the European Union have much better things to do than to stir up threats of destabilization,” Macron told reporters in Armenia.

“For our businesses, our households, our populations, we should rather send a message of stability and confidence,” Macron said. He added that he hoped “reason will prevail soon.”

EU and US trade officials were due to meet in Paris on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Trump accused the EU of “not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal,” without elaborating.

The threat of tariffs comes as Trump fumes over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the US has been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war. Germany is a major automobile manufacturer, and higher tariffs would damage its industry.

Trump has since threatened to pull thousands of US troops out of Germany.

Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a trade deal in July 2025 that set a tariff ceiling of 15% on most goods, though the US Supreme Court this year ruled against the legal authority that Trump had used to charge that tax.

Asked at the EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan on Tuesday about the threat of another tariff hike, von der Leyen said: “A deal is a deal, and we have a deal. And the essence of this deal is prosperity, common rules and reliability.”

The commission, the EU’s executive branch, negotiates trade on behalf of the 27 member countries. Von der Leyen said that “we are prepared for every scenario” if things go wrong.

Macron insisted that agreements must be respected. “If they were challenged again, it would reopen everything,” he said, and warned that “the European Union has instruments that would then need to be activated.”

World

US Says Iran Ceasefire Holds Despite Exchange of Fire; UAE Under Attack

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Iran-flagged container vessel Hamouna is pictured while anchored as a small motorboat passes by, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (ISNA/AFP)
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Iran-flagged container vessel Hamouna is pictured while anchored as a small motorboat passes by, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (ISNA/AFP)
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US Says Iran Ceasefire Holds Despite Exchange of Fire; UAE Under Attack

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Iran-flagged container vessel Hamouna is pictured while anchored as a small motorboat passes by, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (ISNA/AFP)
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Iran-flagged container vessel Hamouna is pictured while anchored as a small motorboat passes by, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. (ISNA/AFP)

The United Arab Emirates said it was under attack from Iranian missiles and drones on Tuesday, even as Washington said a shaky ceasefire was intact despite an exchange of fire the previous day as US forces attempted to force open the Strait of Hormuz. 

The US military said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called "Project Freedom".  

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation to protect commercial ships was temporary and the four-week-old truce was not over.  

"We're not looking for a fight," he told a press conference. "Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we're going to be watching very, very closely." 

Iran fired missiles at US ships on Monday and attacked the UAE with missiles and drones. Shortly after Hegseth spoke on Tuesday, the UAE's defense ministry said its air defenses were again dealing with missile and drone attacks coming from Iran. 

The Gulf state's foreign ministry said in a statement that the attacks were a serious escalation and posed a direct threat to the country's security, ‌adding that the ‌UAE reserved its "full and legitimate right" to respond. 

There was no immediate comment on that from Iran, though earlier its parliament ‌speaker, Mohammad ⁠Baqer Qalibaf, had ⁠said breaches of the ceasefire by the US and its allies endangered shipping through the strait, which carries a large share of the world's oil and fertilizer supplies. 

"We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet," he said in a social media post. 

ATTACKS IN THE GULF  

The narrow strait has been virtually shut since the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering disruptions that have pushed up commodity prices around the world. 

Hegseth said the US had successfully secured a path through the critical waterway and that hundreds of commercial ships were lining up to pass through. 

Iran has effectively sealed off the strait by ⁠threatening to deploy mines, drones, missiles and fast-attack craft. The United States has countered by blockading Iranian ports and mounting escorted transits ‌for commercial vessels. 

The US military said two US merchant ships made it through the strait, without saying when, ‌with the support of Navy guided-missile destroyers. 

Iran denied any crossings had taken place, though shipping company Maersk said the Alliance Fairfax, a US-flagged ship, exited the Gulf under US military escort ‌on Monday.  

The commander of US forces in the region said his fleet had destroyed six small Iranian boats, which Iran also denied. Iranian media quoted a military commander ‌as saying US forces targeted civilian and cargo vessels, killing five civilians. 

Iran also said it fired warning shots at a US warship approaching the strait, forcing it to turn back. 

Reuters could not independently verify events in the strait as the two sides issued contradictory statements. 

General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that since the ceasefire was announced on April 7, Iran had fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships. 

He said Iran has attacked US forces more than 10 times. 

However, the attacks fell "below the threshold of ‌restarting major combat operations at this point", Caine told reporters. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said peace talks were progressing with Pakistan's mediation, and warned the US and the UAE against being drawn into a "quagmire".  

He was ⁠travelling to Beijing on Tuesday for talks with ⁠his Chinese counterpart, his ministry said. 

Iranian drone and missile attacks on the UAE on Monday included one that caused a fire at Fujairah, an important oil port. Iran's state television said military officials had confirmed they attacked the UAE on Monday in response to the "US military's adventurism". 

PEACE EFFORTS STALLED  

The war in the Middle East has already killed thousands and roiled the global economy. US and Iranian officials have held one round of face-to-face peace talks, but attempts to set up further meetings have failed. 

Trump has said the US-Israeli attacks aimed to eliminate what he called imminent threats from Iran, citing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, its support for Hamas and Hezbollah and its "menacing activities". 

Iranian state media said on Sunday that the US had conveyed its response to a 14-point Iranian proposal via Pakistan, and Iran was reviewing it. Neither side gave details. 

A senior Pakistani official involved in the talks said "backdoor diplomacy" was continuing. "We have put in a lot of efforts, actually both the sides have narrowed gaps on a majority of the issues," the source said. 

Tehran's proposal would defer talks on its nuclear energy and research programs until after agreements to end the war and on shipping security. Trump said over the weekend he was still studying it, but would likely reject it. 

Trump has insisted Iran must surrender its enriched uranium stockpiles to prevent it producing a nuclear weapon - an ambition Tehran denies.