![A view of the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford at a US Navy base in Souda Bay, Crete, where it is set to undergo repairs on March 23, 2026. [Stefanos Rapanis – Anadolu Agency]](https://archive.mmnews.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USS-Ford.webp)
The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, previously deployed in US–Israeli operations against Iran, anchored on Saturday in Croatia’s Adriatic port of Split for repairs and maintenance.
The Ford, America’s newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had been operating in the Red Sea in support of Operation Epic Fury when a reportedly non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room on March 12, injuring three sailors. Nearly 200 others were treated for smoke inhalation, according to a U.S. official. The blaze took hours to contain and affected roughly 100 sleeping berths.
Centcom said it was a fire incident in the laundry section.
But Trump today accidentally acknowledged that it was an Iranian missile and drone attack from 17 different angles.Truth is very tough to hide pic.twitter.com/0FrdAyI4u3
— Sumon Kais (@sumonkais) March 28, 2026
However, in a recent speech, President Donald Trump described what he called a massive Iranian missile and drone attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier from 17 different directions. He did not specify whether the USS Gerald R. Ford was the vessel involved.
The remarks have raised questions about earlier U.S. Central Command accounts, which attributed the disruption in the carrier’s operations to the onboard fire.
The carrier, staffed by more than 5,000 sailors, carries over 75 aircraft, including F/A-18 Super Hornets, and is equipped with advanced radar systems for air traffic control and navigation.
