(Kyle Anzalone, Antiwar.com) The USS Abraham Lincoln and its support ships have arrived in the Middle East as President Donald Trump is mulling strikes on Iran.
A US official told CBS News that the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) area of control. On Tuesday, CENTCOM posted on X that the Lincoln was in the Indian Ocean and crews were performing routine maintenance.
The arrival of the fleet of warships in the Middle East comes as Trump has publicly threatened to attack Iran, and US officials say the White House is considering options to strike the Islamic Republic. Earlier this month, Trump decided against attacking Iran over concerns that the US did not have enough military power in the region to topple the government in Tehran and defeat Iranian counterattacks.
Over the past week, the US has engaged in a significant military buildup in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets, and advanced air defense systems. The military equipment will give Trump larger strike operations for attacking Iran, and additional abilities to shoot down Iranian missiles targeting US bases and Israel.
Iran has said that it will respond to any attack by launching missiles at Israel and US bases in the region. Tens of thousands of American troops are positioned at over a dozen military facilities in the area.
The US force presence in the Middle East is now similar to the American military footprint in the region when Israel attacked Iran in June, starting a war that lasted 12 days. Trump said the USS Lincoln will give up operations to strike Iran, but the President left open the possibility for deescalation.
This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.
