The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is being redeployed from other operations to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln to bolster presence amid escalating pressure on Iran over its nuclear program. This extension could set deployment records and signals stronger U.S. military posture in the region. The move comes as the Trump administration seeks to curb Iranian ambitions.

Are we still a people who will stand by our democratic allies, or must we prioritize those who claim the mantle of the oppressed, regardless of the methods they use to assert their will?