The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will sail from the East Coast for Europe on a regularly scheduled deployment — but its presence also gives President Trump a third aircraft carrier option as he weighs what sort of military response the US should provide amid escalating strikes between Israel and Iran. The Ford was previously deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean as a show of strength and to provide options to Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas. The US Navy already has the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, and is sending the USS Nimitz to sail toward U.S. Central Command from the Indo-Pacific.

JUST IN: President Trump says Iran wants to meet at the White House. “They should’ve made that deal. I had a great deal for them. They should’ve made that deal. In the end, they decided not to do it — and now they wish they did it.”

MORE FROM TRUMP: “I don’t want to get involved either, but I’ve been saying for 20 years — maybe longer — that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon … They’d use it. I believe they’d use it.”

Satellite images show Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a key U.S. Air Force hub, abandoned with no aircraft present. The base, hosting U.S. and British planes, may have been evacuated due to fears of an Iranian attack, with aircraft likely moved to other Middle East or European bases.

Fed holds key rate steady, still sees two more cuts this year The Federal Reserve kept its key borrowing rate targeted in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December. However, the central bank expects inflation to remain elevated and sees lower economic growth ahead. Still, the Federal Open Market Committee expects to make two rate reductions later this year, according to the closely watched “dot plot.”

“Dear citizens of Israel, We are on day six of Operation Rising Lion. We began this campaign in order to remove two existential threats to the State of Israel: The nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. We are advancing step by step to remove these threats. We control the skies over Tehran. We are striking the ayatollahs’ regime with great force. We are attacking nuclear installations, missiles, command centers and the symbols of the regime. I must tell you that I speak with world leaders and they are very impressed by our determination and the achievements of our forces. They are also greatly impressed by you, citizens of Israel, by your strong spirit and by your steadfastness. We are sustaining many losses, painful losses. But we see that the home front is strong.