WASHINGTON: Two US sailors were injured after the USS Gerald Ford suffered a non-combat-related fire on board, the US military said on Thursday (Mar 12).
The Ford carrier, the United States’ newest aircraft carrier and the world’s largest, is taking part in operations against Iran and currently located in the Red Sea.
In a statement, the military said the sailors were receiving medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition.
“There is no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational,” the military said, adding that the fire started in the ship’s main laundry area.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that as many as 150 US troops have been wounded in the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The Ford, which has more than 5,000 sailors aboard, has more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jets.
The carrier has been deployed for more than nine months, including taking part in operations in the Caribbean earlier this year.
Shipping in the Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which carries around a fifth of the world’s oil, has come to a near-standstill since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb 28, sending global oil prices surging to highs not seen since 2022.
US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said that the United States has carried out strikes against more than 6,000 targets.
It added that more than 90 Iranian vessels had been damaged or destroyed, including more than 30 minelayers.
In a statement read out on state television, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday Iran will fight on and keep the Strait of Hormuz shut.
