Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKE CSG) has departed the U.S. Central Command area and will briefly remain in the U.S. European Command area before heading home. The carrier had been deployed for over seven months, supporting U.S. regional deterrence and protection efforts.
Following a scheduled exercise in the Indo-Pacific, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group will take over in the Red Sea to continue the mission, according to Ryder.
During its deployment, the Eisenhower protected ships transiting the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. It also rescued mariners from unlawful attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis and helped deter further aggression.
The Houthis have been targeting Israeli-linked cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as a show of support for Gaza, which has been under Israeli attack since October 7.
The Red Sea is a crucial route for oil and fuel shipments worldwide. Earlier this year, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a multinational mission, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter Houthi attacks.
