USS Gerald R. Ford expected to leave Middle East as Iran war costs rise

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group are expected to begin heading home from the Middle East in the coming days, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News, as the Trump administration faces growing questions over the cost and trajectory of the Iran war.

The Ford was one of three aircraft carriers operating in the region. Its expected departure comes as the conflict enters its ninth week, with oil markets unsettled, the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and lawmakers pressing Pentagon leaders for clearer answers on how long U.S. operations may continue.

At a House hearing Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced questions for the first time since the Trump administration launched the war with Israel against Iran. Another Pentagon official said the war has cost an estimated $25 billion so far, according to CBS News.

Hegseth did not give lawmakers a forecast for the length of the war or how much additional funding may be needed. Asked how many more months U.S. operations could last and how many more billions of dollars the administration might seek, he said the military would not signal its plans to an adversary.

Oil pressure and a closed strait

The economic stakes are also widening. Brent crude climbed past $125 a barrel early Thursday, compared with about $70 before the war began in late February, as stalled U.S.-Iran talks dimmed hopes for reopening the Strait of Hormuz or reaching a durable end to the conflict.

The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has been in place since April 13. U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces had redirected 41 vessels carrying 69 million barrels of oil. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said that represented more than $6 billion from which Iran’s leadership could not financially benefit.

President Trump also said Wednesday that he discussed Iran during a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump told reporters Putin had renewed an offer to help remove Iran’s enriched uranium from the country, though Trump said he would rather have Putin focused on ending the war in Ukraine. A Kremlin aide separately said Putin warned against new U.S. and Israeli military action in Iran, citing potential consequences for the region and the wider international community.

The expected Ford departure does not, by itself, resolve the larger uncertainty around the war. The immediate questions remain whether the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened, whether U.S.-Iran talks can resume momentum and how much more military and economic cost Washington is prepared to absorb.