An aircraft carrier previously deployed to the Western Pacific has arrived in the Middle East, following an outcry over reported conditions on a sister vessel that had been deployed to the region amid the US-Israel war with Iran.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the Middle East, said on Thursday that the USS George Washington had arrived in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday as “part of a scheduled deployment”.
- list 1 of 3USS Lincoln woes highlight US Navy limits in prolonged Iran war: Experts
- list 2 of 3Democrats call for USS Lincoln probe, question US Navy’s readiness
- list 3 of 3Trump says no talks planned with Iran amid anger over Iran-Oman Hormuz deal
end of list
The shift leaves the US without an aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, despite Washington’s strategic emphasis on the region.
Last week, the Navy announced that the Lincoln would be rotated back to the US. The carrier left its port in San Diego last November and deployed off the coast of Venezuela before being rerouted after the US and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28.
It set a US naval record for the longest deployment without a port stop.
The situation gained renewed attention last week amid reports of paltry food and hygiene supplies on board, as well as maintenance issues from the prolonged time at sea.
The families of several members of the approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines on board also detailed the mission’s mental health toll, including several accounts to US media of individuals seeking to jump overboard.
Several Democratic legislators have charged that the situation is emblematic of the Trump administration’s poor planning for the war, which has turned into a grinding asymmetrical conflict after nearly six months, with no clear end in sight.
Even as fighting has recently paused, Iran has continued to vow to assert its influence over the Strait of Hormuz as the US has said it has made progress in increasing traffic in the arterial trade route. The Trump administration said it can maintain its blockade on Iran’s ports indefinitely.
Advertisement
Trump and his top Pentagon officials have largely dismissed reports of conditions on board the USS Lincoln as misleading, saying those on board were experiencing wartime austerity.
Meanwhile, there has been no indication that talks between the US and Iran would resume any time soon, after an earlier Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to find a more lasting end to the war expired on Monday.
On Thursday, Trump announced what he described as a “crushing economic operation” against Iran, which has long been targeted by US and Western sanctions.
He said that any country that does business with Iran will face “tremendous economic consequences”, in what he called “economic D-Day”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, called the announcement a distraction, saying the approach will “bring further defeat” to the US.
