Fire on board the USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, involved in the attacks on Iran
Two US sailors were injured on Thursday after a fire “not related to combat” broke out aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, the US military said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
The Ford aircraft carrier, the United States' newest aircraft carrier and the world's largest, is participating in ongoing military operations against Iran and is currently in the Red Sea.
In a statement, the US military said the sailors were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition.
“There is no damage to the ship's propulsion system and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational,” the military said, adding that the fire broke out in the ship's main laundry area.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that up to 150 US soldiers were injured in the US-Israel war against Iran.
The USS Gerald Ford, which has more than 5,000 sailors on board, has more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter jets such as the F-18 Super Hornet.
The aircraft carrier was deployed for more than nine months, including taking part in operations in the Caribbean earlier this year.
Although it is the world's most expensive aircraft carrier, US sailors complained last month of broken toilets because routine maintenance while underway and too long at sea is difficult.
Shipping in the Persian Gulf and along the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, is blocked after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, sending global oil prices soaring to levels not seen since 2022.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said on Thursday that the United States had carried out strikes against more than 6,000 targets.
CENTCOM added that more than 90 Iranian vessels were damaged or destroyed, including more than 30 minesweepers.
In a statement broadcast on state television, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that Iran will continue to fight and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
