USS Gerald R Ford spotted in Gibraltar, bases in Qatar, Bahrain evacuated: Has countdown to US attack on Iran begun?
USS Gerald R. Ford spotted near Gibraltar as US evacuates troops from Qatar and Bahrain, raising fears of a possible Iran strike. With tensions high and nuclear talks ongoing, protests intensify in Iran while Washington pressures Tehran to reach a deal soon.
USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier seen in waters off Gibraltar
The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier was sighted on Friday (Feb 20) sailing in waters off Gibraltar near northern Africa, Reuters reported. This proves that USS Gerald R Ford has still not reached West Asia, while USS Abraham Lincoln is currently positioned in the Arabian Sea, approximately 150 to 300 miles off the coast of Oman.
US withdraws hundreds of troops from Qatar and Bahrain
Notably, in what is being seen as US' preparation of war, US has evacuated hundreds of troops from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, according to a report by The New York Times. The exact location of USS Gerald R Ford and troops evacuation has sparked alarm about possible strike in Iran in coming days.
Iran-US tensions at its peak
Iran and US tensions are at its peak with several reports signalling that US President Donald Trump may order a limited strike on Iran amid Tehran's failure to strike a nuclear deal with Washington. Trump has suggested that "bad things" will happen if Tehran did not strike a deal, saying that it had 15 days to agree. The US had hit Iran last year after a failed nuclear diplomacy and 12-days war with Israel. While Iran has said that would be submitting a draft proposal for an agreement soon, Axios reported this week, citing an unnamed senior US official, that Washington was prepared to consider a proposed deal that only permitted “small, token enrichment.”
Anti-govt protest in Iran
Meanwhile, students in Iran reignited anti-regime protest and chanted ‘death to Khamenei’ slogans, while also urging Trump to intervene and ‘finish the job.’ According to AFP, videos from several universities showed fights breaking out in a crowd as people shouted "bi sharaf", or "disgraceful" in Farsi.
What we know about nuclear talks between US and Iran?
Nuclear talks between the United States and Iran wrapped up in Geneva on February 17. While both sides report progress on "guiding principles," the differ in their approach on uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, US President Trump has warned that Iran has 10-to-15-days to decide on nuclear deal. Iran is expected to submit a formal draft counterproposal to within the next few days.
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