Iran Crisis Exposes Impotence of America's Neoliberal War Machine

US dispatches second aircraft carrier to Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The United States is sending a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East to join the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and threaten Iran. This comes as the world fears the US may exploit the recent protests in Iran as a pretext for an illegal military assault. However, the US war machine has proven impotent in recent conflicts, with overextended deployments causing wear and tear on its warships and weapons stockpiles depleted by transfers to allies. Experts warn a war with Iran would be a catastrophic escalation that the US is ill-prepared to fight.

Why it matters

A new US war on Iran would pile unimaginable death and suffering on top of the economic strangulation the Iranian people have already endured under US sanctions. The world must act to prevent this, as the voices of Americans calling for peace may impact the US government in an election year when the public is already sickened by US complicity in other conflicts.

The details

The USS Gerald R. Ford is the third Atlantic crossing for its crew since June 2025, with its deployment repeatedly extended. The US is keeping the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier at least 1,000 miles from Iran's coast, a far cry from the six carrier battle groups used to attack Iraq in 2003. This caution reflects the US's respect for Iran's military capabilities, including modern air defenses and an arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones to retaliate. The US failure to defeat the Houthi forces in Yemen is a small taste of what it would face in a prolonged war with Iran, which already inflicted significant damage on Israel in 2025.

  • In June 2025, Iran used missiles and drones to deplete Israel's air defenses before striking military and intelligence targets in Tel Aviv.
  • In June 2025, the US bombed three nuclear enrichment sites in Iran before agreeing to an Iranian ceasefire proposal on June 24.

The players

USS Gerald R. Ford

The largest and most expensive warship ever built, costing $17.5 billion.

USS Abraham Lincoln

A US aircraft carrier that is part of the carrier strike group being deployed to the Middle East.

Ansar Allah (Houthis)

A Yemeni rebel group that the US and its allies have failed to defeat in successive bombing campaigns.

Richard Connolly

A researcher at the RUSI military think tank in London who has pointed out Russia's strategic advantages in weapons production compared to the privatized, inefficient US military-industrial complex.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The former Soviet leader who initiated the end of the Cold War and whose vision of a peaceful post-Cold War world was undermined by US military expansionism.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.