New satellite imagery has captured the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier docked at a port in Oman on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

The nuclear-powered Nimitz is the lead ship of its class of U.S. Navy “flattops.” It was rerouted to the Middle East in June and has been operating around the Gulf of Oman since the Israeli-Iran conflict, a brief war that ended with the U.S. bombing of Iran’s key nuclear facilities.

Newsweek emailed the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment about the Nimitz‘s movements.

Why It Matters

The aircraft carrier’s presence underscores the Navy’s ongoing presence in the Middle East and its preparedness for potential contingencies. The region continues to be strained by violence in Israel, Gaza and Syria, while the Iran-backed Houthi militant group has renewed attacks on vessels in the Red Sea amid the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire Tehran has remained defiant over its right to pursue what it calls a peaceful nuclear program. Diplomacy has stalled over the matter, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran again unless it promises to stop all uranium enrichment.

What To Know

Satellite imagery captured on Monday by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellites showed the Nimitz docked at Oman‘s Duqm. Its presence was first observed by open-source intelligence analyst MT Anderson on X.

Earlier in August, the Nimitz made a historic port visit to Bahrain—the first time an American aircraft carrier had visited the country in five years, according to USNI News, under the U.S. Naval Institute.

The flattop had been spotted approaching the Strait of Hormuz during its northbound transit into the Persian Gulf, alongside escorts including the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Gridley and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee.

Other vessels currently in the Middle East include the USS Forrest Sherman, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer currently operating independently in the Red Sea, and the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra, which is in the Persian Gulf, according to the USNI News fleet tracker, updated on Tuesday.

What People Are Saying

MT Anderson, an open-source intelligence analyst, wrote on X: “What’s unusual is the lack of any official or unofficial news. Given the ongoing tensions with the Houthis, was this a deliberate low-profile port call? She was in Bahrain less than a month ago, could there be maintenance issues? Time will tell …”

USNI News said on Tuesday “The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea.”

The U.S. Navy said on August 11: “The U.S. Navy continues to deliver sea control and power projection, and remains committed to regional maritime security, freedom of navigation, our partners and forward presence. The [Nimitz Carrier Strike Group] consists of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Nimitz, [Carrier Air Wing 17] and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 9.”

What Happens Next

The U.S. will likely continue to monitor the region closely and maintain military readiness, as the administration remains concerned about Iran.