Souda bay: The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has arrived at the US naval base in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, en route to join a large US military buildup in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump, who ordered strikes against Iran last year, has reiterated his threat to Tehran of further military action if it does not reach a new agreement on its nuclear program, which Western countries fear is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the carrier arrived at the Greek island, while the Greek Ministry of Defense declined to comment on its arrival. The naval base in Souda, used by NATO, the United States, and other Western countries, is located in western Crete near the port of Chania, according to a Greek military source.

The business daily Navtemporiki reported that the US aircraft carrier, accompanied by the destroyer USS Mahan, would remain at Souda Bay for four days to resupply. The US naval support facility at Souda Bay houses approximately 1,000 personnel, including active-duty military personnel, US civilian employees, local staff, contractors, and their families.

Washington currently has more than 12 naval vessels deployed to the Middle East, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, nine destroyers, and three littoral combat ships. It is rare for two US aircraft carriers to be in the region simultaneously, each carrying dozens of warplanes and thousands of sailors.