The Pentagon has ordered the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group to move to the Middle East amid mounting unrest in Iran, according to multiple media reports.
The San Diego-based Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was operating in the South China Sea when the order was issued. It is expected to take roughly a week for the strike group to transit from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, Forbes reported.
The move comes as protests continue to spread across Iran over economic hardship and restrictive social policies imposed by the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could use military force if Iranian authorities harm demonstrators.
The Abraham Lincoln strike group includes the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance, also based in San Diego, as well as the Pearl Harbor-based destroyers USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. A U.S. Navy fast-attack submarine typically operates alongside a carrier strike group, though its identity is not disclosed for operational security reasons.
With a crew of 5,000, the carrier was deployed to the Middle East in August 2024 to deter Iran from attacking Israel. Its redeployment fills a rare gap in U.S. naval presence in the region
At present, the United States has no other aircraft carrier strike group operating in either the Mediterranean Sea or the Indian Ocean, as a sizable U.S. naval presence remains positioned off Venezuela.
Defense analysts noted that while a carrier is not essential for offensive operations, its presence in the Middle East serves as a visible signal of deterrence and U.S. military readiness amid rising tensions with Tehran.
