France Sends Aircraft Carrier to Persian Gulf Against Islamic State

French officials announced Monday that they have placed an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf this week as part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State terrorist group.

A French defense minister confirmed that the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier departed from France to the Persian Gulf in mid-January to join the USS Carl Vinson in its joint operation against the Islamic State.

The Charles de Gaulle carrier arrived in the Gulf this week, and is now positioned off the coast of Bahrain, facing Iraq.

"The integration of the Charles de Gaulle in the operation... (in Iraq) begins this morning," a spokesperson for Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the AFP on Monday.

France and several other western countries have agreed to aid the U.S. in its fight in defeating the Islamic State terrorist organization, which has threatened western countries with terror attacks and uploaded videos to their social media accounts that show the execution of western hostages.

France has launched Operation Chammal as its support for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State.

A second source confirmed to Reuters that the carrier would be involved in the Persian Gulf for a weeks-long mission.

"The carrier and its naval group has officially started missions as part of its Chammal operation in Iraq," the source told the media outlet.

French President Francois Hollande confirmed to the Associated Press that the European country had chosen to send the aircraft carrier to the Middle East after the Charlie Hebdo terror attack that took place in Paris, France in early January.