3rd U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in Central Command area of responsibility

WASHINGTON, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The third U.S. aircraft carrier, Nimitz-class USS George H.W. Bush, and its accompanying warships, has arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, the command announced Thursday.

The Bush, which left Naval Station Norfolk in the U.S. state of Virginia in late March, is currently in the Indian Ocean, the command said on X.

The other two aircraft carriers already deployed in the Middle East, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, are located in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, respectively, according to media reports.

As of Monday, when the Bush was on route, the U.S. Navy had 19 warships in the Middle East, including two aircraft carriers, and seven ships in the Indian Ocean, CNN reported on Thursday, citing a U.S. official.

U.S. forces have redirected at least 33 ships to or from Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz as of Thursday since they started enforcing a blockade on April 13. They have also boarded at least three ships, including two in the Indian Ocean, roughly 2,000 miles from the Persian Gulf. Enditem