Centcom chief visits US carrier enforcing Iran blockade amid reports of severe strain on crew
The head of the United States Central Command (Centcom), Admiral Bradley Cooper, has visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, which is enforcing the US blockade of Iran.
His visit came amid reports of severe strain on the carrier's crew, including mental health concerns and supply shortages after an unusually long deployment.
"History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," Cooper said on Saturday.
The Lincoln has been deployed in the Middle East for more than 250 days without a port call.
CNN reported on Thursday that a sailor wearing a life vest went overboard the ship earlier this month. The sailor was rescued within an hour and transferred off the carrier for treatment.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The incident was not an isolated one.
US military news outlets, including Stars and Stripes and Navy Times, have reported another case in which a crew member was prevented from jumping overboard amid growing exhaustion and declining morale.
One woman told a town hall attended by Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao that her husband aboard the ship “hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow”, according to Stars and Stripes.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Lincoln would be rotated out of the region and replaced by the USS George Washington. US lawmakers have also raised concerns about the physical and mental health of sailors aboard the carrier.
The rotation comes after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the blockade of Iran could be maintained “indefinitely”, as fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz continues with no return to a ceasefire in sight.
Cooper also visited Israel, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to meet political and military figures, Centcom said.
The US and Iran have been battling for control of the Strait of Hormuz for months. Iran has attacked vessels from Gulf states carrying oil and petroleum products outside the waterway, while the US has targeted vessels linked to Iran.
It is not uncommon for an aircraft carrier to spend nine months at sea during wartime, but such deployments typically include regular port calls to replenish supplies and allow sailors to rest.
On Sunday, the general staff of Iran's armed forces pledged the "complete defeat" of the US and Israel in the region, saying the legacy of "resistance" has been passed to a new generation of Iranians.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
