WANA (Mar 28) – Donald Trump, the President of the United States, provided further details during a speech at a Saudi investment forum in Miami about what he described as the targeting of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

 

Trump described the moments leading up to the incident, stating that around 1:00 a.m., a very fast aircraft was taking off from the carrier’s deck every 32 seconds. He characterized the situation as unusual and said it became clear they were facing a serious situation.

 

According to Trump, shortly after these movements, the attack began, with the vessel being struck “from 17 different directions.” He emphasized that forces were prepared, but the intensity of the attack quickly escalated the situation.

 

Previously, the Pentagon had attributed the carrier’s malfunction to a fire in the laundry area, stressing that the incident was unrelated to any external conflict.

 

Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing military sources, reported that the fire lasted more than 30 hours and led to dozens of crew members suffering from smoke inhalation.

 

According to these reports, conditions for the crew aboard the $13 billion, 100,000-ton vessel—deployed in the region amid tensions with Iran—have been described as challenging and “far from ideal.”