IRGC targets U.S. carrier support in Red Sea
Iran says logistical and service centers aiding the Gerald R. Ford are now legitimate targets
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps warned that all logistical and service centers supporting the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Red Sea are now legitimate targets for Iranian forces, as the carrier shelters at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah port. An IRGC spokesman said the carrier’s presence constitutes a direct threat to Iran and singled out maintenance facilities and supply chains that enable its operations, not only the vessel itself.
The Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy’s largest supercarrier, transited the Suez Canal earlier this month and has been operating roughly 100 km off Saudi shores, accompanied by guided‑missile destroyers, according to satellite imagery. The deployment—its first Middle East mission since commissioning—forms part of broader US military reinforcements amid heightened tensions following recent US‑Israeli strikes on Iran.
IRGC commanders have said they are monitoring the carrier and prepared to act once it enters a designated perimeter; Tehran cites past strikes on US naval assets and frames retaliatory operations as lawful self‑defense, targeting military rather than civilian infrastructure. Iranian officials also warned that states hosting or facilitating strikes against Iran will be treated as complicit in aggression.
