The world's largest aircraft carrier has been ordered to sail from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East as President Donald Trump considers whether to take possible military action against Iran.

Trump repeatedly has said the U.S. will accept an agreement only if it prevents Iran from having nuclear weapons — and has been using diplomatic pressure backed by military force to push for that outcome.

On Truth Social, Trump posted a picture of an aircraft carrier to accentuate the claim.

The move by the USS Gerald R. Ford, according to multiple media reports citing unnamed government officials, will put two carriers and their accompanying warships in the region as Trump increases pressure on Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program. 

"In case we don't make a deal, we'll need it," Trump told reporters as he left the White House Friday afternoon. "If we need it, we have it ready — a very big force."

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East more than two weeks ago.

The U.S. has 11 aircraft carriers, and their schedules are usually set well in advance.

It marks a quick turnaround for the USS Ford, the nation's newest carrier, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean in October as the administration build up a huge military presence in the leadup to the surprise raid last month that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which is responsible for American military presence in the Caribbean, told Newsmax Friday:

While force posture evolves, our operational capability does not. SOUTHCOM forces remain fully ready to project power, defend themselves, and protect U.S. interests in the region. At the direction of the President and the Secretary of War, we continue mission-focused operations to counter illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere.

Trump on Thursday warned Iran that failure to reach a deal with his administration would be "very traumatic." Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman last week.

"I guess over the next month, something like that," Trump said in response to a question about his timeline for striking a deal with Iran on its nuclear program. "It should happen quickly. They should agree very quickly."

Trump told Axios earlier this week that he was considering sending a second carrier strike group to the Middle East.

Trump held lengthy talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday and said he insisted to Israel's leader that negotiations with Iran needed to continue.

Netanyahu is urging the administration to press Tehran to scale back its ballistic missile program and end its support for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah as part of any deal.

The Ford, which has a nuclear reactor on board, can hold more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jets and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can act as an early warning system.

It also includes sophisticated radar that can help control air traffic and navigation.

It set out on deployment in late June 2025, which means the crew will have been deployed for eight months in two weeks time.

While it is unclear how long the ship will remain in the Middle East, the move sets the crew up for an usually long deployment.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.