The USS Nimitz, one of the largest warships in the world, will remain in service until March 2027, almost a year longer than originally planned.

A US Navy official told CNN that the carrier’s operational life had now been extended to March 2027, with the ship expected to be formally retired later that year.

The vessel had previously been due to leave service in May 2026.

The decision comes as the United States remains at war with Iran. Donald Trump said on Friday that he expected US naval escorts for oil tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz to begin soon.

The Nimitz, the oldest aircraft carrier still in active American service, completed a nine-month deployment last December during which it passed through the Strait of Hormuz four times as part of operations under the US Fifth Fleet.

The ship left Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, last week for Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on what had been expected to be its final voyage. It is not yet clear whether it will be deployed again before being decommissioned.