Photos posted on platform X showing the American aircraft carrier Gerald Ford (USS Gerald R Ford) crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, amid fears of a US attack on Iran, have been verified by BBC Verify. The images – taken from Gibraltar – show the world’s largest warship as it headed eastward from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean. The first image shows the aircraft carrier with the mountains of Morocco in the distance.
USS Ford has entered the Mediterranean on its way to Iran. @NavyLookout @UKDefJournal @WarshipsIFR pic.twitter.com/swxPhjE7pA
— David Parody 🇬🇮 (@dparody) February 20, 2026
Aircraft carrier Gerald Ford: its exact location
It should be recalled that, a week earlier, a senior US government official had announced that the Pentagon would send a second aircraft carrier with its escort, the Gerald Ford, to the Middle East, following the Abraham Lincoln.
It should be noted that the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is not simply the largest aircraft carrier in the world, it is the most advanced floating air base ever built.
With a cost exceeding $13 billion and a displacement of 100,000 tons, this vessel represents the first significant leap in aircraft carrier design in 40 years, gradually replacing the Nimitz class.
Its combat capabilities are not based solely on size, but on technological superiority that allows it to project power to every corner of the planet.
Its main offensive power comes from its air wing (Carrier Air Wing), which can accommodate more than 75 aircraft.
