Satellites Capture US Carrier Back on Doorstep of Weakened Iran

Newsweek

3 days ago

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A recent satellite image captured the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and its escorts approaching the Strait of Hormuz during a northbound transit into the Persian Gulf.
The sighting comes amid what former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Joseph Votel described as a "significant" increase in U.S. military posture over the past year, in a phone interview with Newsweek.
Newsweek has contacted CENTCOM for additional comments.
Why It Matters
The Carrier Strike Group's return to the region highlights the active U.S. naval role in the Middle East and readiness for conflict despite a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and hopes for renewed nuclear talks. The ongoing military buildup reflects concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, proxy conflicts and threats to allies. It also underscores a cautious, transactional U.S. strategy in the region.
Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on August 11, 2025, shows the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz pierside at the port of Khalifa bin Salman in Bahrain.
Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on August 11, 2025, shows the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz pierside at the port of Khalifa bin Salman in Bahrain.
Copernicus
What To Know
Carrier Strike Group 11, led by the USS Nimitz approached the strategic Strait of Hormuz during a northbound transit into the Persian Gulf, recent satellite imagery showed on Saturday according to open-source intelligence reports.
The aircraft carrier was escorted by guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee. The strike group arrived in Bahrain on Sunday, marking the first port visit by an aircraft carrier to the country since 2020, the U.S. Navy said.
The USS Nimitz last operated in the Persian Gulf nearly a year ago. Deployed to the Gulf of Oman in July, it has been operating in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East in June as Israel and Iran entered a 12-day military conflict during which the U.S. bombed Iran's nuclear facilities.
Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect, Tehran has remained defiant as diplomacy has stalled amid disputes over its nuclear program, with President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran again.
"I think there's no doubt that the Israeli military action against Iran, and our efforts to purge the nuclear weapons program, have had a very significant impact. They are down, but they are not out," Votel, chief of CENTCOM from 2016 to 2019, told Newsweek.
CENTCOM played a pivotal role in the planning and execution of "Operation Midnight Hammer" in June, including the launch of more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site.
Iran's coalition of proxy groups, another major source of Washington's frustration, have suffered severe blows after intervening in support of the Palestinian Hamas movement following its October 2023 attack that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
But despite military setbacks, groups like the Yemeni Houthis have continued their attacks, undeterred by U.S. military action, although the group did not intervene during the Israel-U.S. attacks on Iran. Weeks later, the Houthis escalated previously paused attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
According to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, the Houthis have prompted notable U.S. military expansion, evident in the deployment of three aircraft carrier strike groups led, respectively, by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Harry S Truman—the latter's deployment having been extended in March to support intensified strikes on the Houthis.
U.S. troop levels in the Middle East region have increased significantly, rising from around 35,000 to nearly 50,000 by late 2024—a scale not seen since the early Trump administration—alongside a sharp rise in naval and air deployments, according to estimates by military experts.
CENTCOM oversees roughly 2.5 million square miles of water across 21 countries, including the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean, covering key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
What People Are Saying
General Joseph Votel, former CENTCOM Chief, Distinguished Military Fellow at the Middle East Institute told Newsweek: "While this was a very serious situation for [Iran], we cannot assume they will stop pursuing nuclear weapons or other capabilities. It's not completely destroyed, and Iran has not taken a different path. We must remain concerned."
U.S. Navy in statement on Tuesday: "The U.S. Navy continues to deliver sea control and power projection, and remains committed to regional maritime security, freedom of navigation, our partners and forward presence. The NIMCSG consists of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Nimitz, CVW 17 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9."
What Happens Next
The U.S. military must keep pace with the tech-savvy military innovations of its Iranian-backed adversaries, according to Votel.