US carrier Ford, deployed in war with Iran, to go to port temporarily after fire

The carrier, America's newest, world's largest, is currently located in the Red Sea

The US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, deployed in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily pull into port after ​a fire on board, US officials said on Tuesday, the 18th day ‌of the war with Iran.

The carrier, America's newest and the world's largest, is currently located in the Red Sea. It is expected to temporarily go to Souda Bay on the Greek island ​of Crete, the two officials said.

The warship has been deployed for nine ​months, including taking part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean ⁠prior to arriving in the Middle East. The length of the deployment has raised ​questions about the morale of the sailors on board and the readiness of the warship.

The ​officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not say how long the Ford was expected to remain in Crete.

One of the officials said nearly 200 sailors were treated for smoke-related ​injuries when the fire broke out in the ship's main laundry area. The fire ​took hours to bring under control and had an impact on roughly 100 sleeping berths.

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One service ‌member ⁠was flown off the ship for injuries, the official said.

The New York Times first reported the extent of the damage on board the warship. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After the fire initially broke out, the US ​military had said that ​there was no ⁠damage to the ship's propulsion plant and the aircraft carrier was fully operational.

The United States has carried out strikes against more ​than 7,000 targets since it started operations against Iran on February ​28.

The Ford, ⁠with more than 5,000 sailors aboard, has more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornets. The Ford has sophisticated radar that can help control ⁠air ​traffic and navigation.

The supporting ships, such as the Ticonderoga-class ​guided missile cruiser Normandy, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, include surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, ​and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.