The U.S. Navy’s newest and most powerful aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, along with its escort ships, is being redirected from a Caribbean deployment to the Middle East, U.S. media reported, marking a significant expansion of Washington’s naval presence amid rising tensions with Iran.

Four U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss operational decisions publicly, told The New York Times that the carrier strike group’s crew was informed on Thursday that their mission will now take them to the Persian Gulf, where they are expected to join the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.

The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump steps up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program and regional activities, even as indirect talks continue aimed at easing tensions. Trump has warned of “very traumatic” consequences for Iran if a deal is not reached.

The Ford departed its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 24, initially for what was scheduled as a European cruise. That mission was later redirected to the Caribbean as part of a broader U.S. pressure campaign on Venezuela. Officials said the carrier’s aircraft participated in a January 3 operation near Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Sailors had expected to return home in early March, but the new deployment orders extend their mission into late April or early May.

Once in the Middle East, the Ford will bolster U.S. naval forces already operating with the Abraham Lincoln and several guided‑missile destroyers, reinforcing American military deterrence at a time of heightened strategic competition with Iran.