Khaberni - The New York Times, citing American officials, reported that the aircraft carrier "Gerald R. Ford" will leave its position in the Red Sea heading to a naval base in Greece to conduct necessary repairs after a fire erupted aboard last week.
The newspaper reported from officials that the fire, which started days ago, lasted about 30 hours before the crew could completely extinguish it, indicating that the initial damage assessment confirms that fixing the malfunctions caused by the incident will take at least a week.
In the same context, "USNI News," a site specializing in naval affairs - citing an American official - stated that the ship would move from the operation area in the Red Sea towards Greece to start addressing the effects of the fire.
The American fleet is preparing to send the aircraft carrier "George H.W. Bush" to the region as a potential replacement, according to the New York Times.
Details of the Incident
The Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced last Thursday that a fire occurred in the main laundry room of the ship while carrying out its duties, resulting in two sailors sustaining injuries described as "non-life-threatening", confirming their stable health condition and receiving medical treatment.
The official statement from the Fifth Fleet emphasized that the incident "is not related to any combat operations", denying any damage to the ship's propulsion system or its deactivation.
Although Washington initially confirmed that the carrier was still operating at full operational readiness, recent reports indicate that the extent of the damages and the time it took to extinguish the flames necessitated its transfer for technical repairs.
"Gerald Ford" is one of the aircraft carriers in the American arsenal, and its presence in the region is part of the American deterrence strategy amidst escalating tensions in the waterways of the Middle East.
Earlier, a spokesman for the Iranian Armed Forces announced the decommissioning of "Abraham Lincoln - the largest American warship", and said that "the carrier fled" while the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) completely denied this announcement.
