Washington/Hanoi, June 18: – The U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is sailing toward West Asia after cancelling a planned port visit to Vietnam, amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, officials and tracking data indicated on Monday.
The Nimitz, one of the U.S. Navy’s oldest and most powerful aircraft carriers, was transiting through the Malacca Strait toward the Indian Ocean as of 13:45 GMT, according to ship-tracking service Marine Traffic. The move comes as Washington seeks to bolster its military posture in the Middle East, following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel.
A Vietnamese government official confirmed the cancellation of a planned reception aboard the Nimitz, originally scheduled for June 20 in Danang, as part of its expected June 19–23 stop. A letter shared by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi cited an “emergent operational requirement” for the change.
Both the U.S. Embassy and a spokesperson for the Nimitz declined to comment on the vessel’s new orders or destination.
The Nimitz, which can carry more than 60 aircraft and around 5,000 personnel, is among the key assets the U.S. Navy deploys for crisis response and power projection.
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Monday that Iran’s recent missile barrage lightly damaged a building used by the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. The attack was part of a broader exchange of strikes between Tehran and Jerusalem, raising fears of a wider regional war.
The U.S. has increased diplomatic and military engagement with allies across the Middle East in recent days as hostilities between Israel and Iran deepen, with concerns growing over the security of American assets and personnel in the region.
