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U.S. NAVY |
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Good morning. The USS George Washington is relieving the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, and the movement of these two massive aircraft carriers is both strategic and symbolic. |
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One of the most sensitive stories in this nearly six-month Iran War is the toll it has taken on American servicemembers. Nearly 20 U.S. servicemembers have died in the Middle East since the war began, including in Iranian attacks in Kuwait and Jordan. |
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A central component of President Trump’s war strategy is a massive naval blockade of Iran that is meant to choke off the country’s economy. Doing so is logistically quite complicated and requires a large number of U.S. ships across the region. Those ships host thousands of U.S. servicemembers, and Trump has suggested the blockade could be in place for a prolonged time. |
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The USS Lincoln has been at the heart of the bombing and pressure campaign against Iran. It spent more than 200 days in a combat zone and launched more than 10,000 sorties, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said. |
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There have been reports that this deployment has taken its toll on both the ship and its sailors. Getting fresh food has been challenging at times, and some servicemembers have dealt with mental-health challenges. Senate Democrats are demanding answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about the toll the deployment has taken on U.S. forces. |
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Trump has dismissed reports that the ship has been at sea too long, and Hegseth said the issues have been “completely misrepresented.” |
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In recent months, Iran’s approach has been to mostly delay and stall negotiations, taking a toll on the U.S. military. The White House has bristled at reports that it is running low on munitions, and they are similarly bristling at reports about naval deployments. |
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Maintaining logistical supply chains and servicemember morale during extended wars are key to military success, and an indefinite blockade is likely to test the Pentagon’s ability to do both. |