Washington DC - The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, dispatched to the Middle East ahead of the outbreak of war with Iran, returned home to the US on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, the Pentagon said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand in Norfolk, Virginia, to welcome home the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the US military said on X.

It was the longest deployment for a US carrier strike group since the Vietnam War.

The Ford's deployment saw it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington's forces interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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It was also involved in deadly strikes on boats in international waters that Washington has claimed were smuggling drugs, sparking condemnation from experts as illegal extrajudicial killings.

The Ford was then dispatched to the Middle East to participate in combat operations against Iran.

The carrier's long deployment included a fire in a laundry room on March 12, which injured two sailors and caused major damage to some 100 beds, according to the US military.

The carrier also reportedly suffered significant problems with its toilet system while at sea.