The USS Iwo Jima is the flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), deployed since August 2025 with the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Until this week, the ship had operated offshore near Puerto Rico but had not been confirmed as making a port visit.

Confirmed Docking At Ponce

Multiple local and real-time sources confirm that the USS Iwo Jima, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, docked at Muelle de Ponce on Puerto Rico’s southern coast on December 16, 2025.

Photos and videos from local spotters showed the ship moored at the pier at approximately 4:07 p.m. local time, marking the first confirmed port call by the vessel in Puerto Rico during its current deployment.

Imagery circulating on social media also showed MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft conducting takeoffs and landings from the ship’s flight deck while docked.

Earlier the same day, the Iwo Jima had departed from the U.S. Virgin Islands before transiting west to Ponce.

From Offshore Operations To Port Call

In early December, between December 3 and December 6, the Iwo Jima was observed operating offshore near Ponce, with MV-22 Ospreys ferrying personnel and equipment ashore.

Those activities, however, stopped short of a confirmed docking, leading to uncertainty over whether the ship itself had entered port.

The December 16 arrival resolves that ambiguity. It represents a shift from stand-off operations to direct port access, allowing for logistics, resupply, and potential aircraft transfers in support of the Iwo Jima ARG and the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, which together comprise more than 4,000 sailors and Marines.

Puerto Rico As A Military Hub

The port call fits into a broader pattern of increased U.S. military activity in Puerto Rico throughout 2025.

Other U.S. Navy vessels, including USS Stockdale, conducted resupply operations in Ponce on December 5, while USS Fort Lauderdale made a port visit in November.

Puerto Rico has also hosted a growing concentration of U.S. air and naval assets under operations such as Southern Spear.

These include deployments of F-35B fighters, AC-130J gunships, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and other aircraft operating from sites including the former Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba.

Multiple warships, submarines, and thousands of personnel have rotated through the region, making it one of the most substantial U.S. military concentrations in the Caribbean in decades.

Operational Significance

Local Puerto Rican media have extensively covered the broader U.S. buildup since September, though the Iwo Jima’s December 16 docking emerged first through real-time reporting by spotters rather than advance announcements.

As of December 17, the Iwo Jima ARG remains active in the Caribbean, with the confirmed port call underscoring the island’s importance for sustained amphibious and joint operations.