The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, one of the largest warships in the world, has been stationed off the coast of Bahrain as the kingdom steps up its brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters

The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, one of the largest warships in the world, has been stationed off the coast of Bahrain as the kingdom steps up its brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

The warship moved towards Bahrain in recent days, with the USS Truman in close proximity as part of its fresh 9 month deployment to the Persian Gulf.

The Nimitz, with a crew of 5,000 sailors, arrived in Bahrain for a five-day port visit.

The deployment came ahead of August 14 celebrations of Bahrain’s independence from the United Kingdom which unleashed a fresh wave of protests against the US-backed regime.

At the US Navy base in Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet headquarters is located, US officials said operations were “normal and regular.”