Iran in the crosshairs of Lincoln and its sisters… Messages of fire before the decision
With the arrival of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its strike group in the Middle East, American military signals toward Iran are intensifying, while the level of mutual threats between Washington and Tehran is rising.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced in a post on its X account that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying vessels are “currently deployed in the Middle East to strengthen regional security and stability.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that the arrival of these reinforcements grants President Donald Trump “additional offensive and defensive capabilities should he decide to move forward with an attack on Iran.”
In an interview with Axios on Monday, Trump expressed satisfaction with the presence of “a large U.S. fleet near Iran.”
Although Trump indicated that he has not yet made a final decision regarding military action, the arrival of the ships comes amid a significant build-up of combat power in the region.
Last year, the Pentagon withdrew military equipment from the Middle East as the U.S. administration focused on Venezuela, but military assets, including a carrier strike group, several air defense systems, and fighter squadrons, are gradually returning to the region.
Last Thursday, Trump said: “We have a major force heading toward Iran. I would prefer that nothing happens, but we are watching them very closely.”
Earlier this month, the U.S. president had backed away from attacking Iran, yet did not rule out the option of launching strikes against the “ruling regime” following “the crackdown on protesters,” according to U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, a U.S.-based human rights organization said on Monday that it had verified the deaths of around six thousand people “during the suppression of protests” in Iran, warning that the toll could be higher.
In the first official tally of the protests, Iranian authorities announced last week that 3,117 people had been killed.
The protests began in late December over economic hardships, before evolving into a political movement hostile to the authorities, headed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. president sought “decisive” options to strike Iran, amid fears that any bombing campaign could trigger a broader conflict in the Middle East. Tehran has pledged to respond should it be attacked.
Indications
With the aircraft carrier Lincoln entering the theater of operations, the United States now has additional aircraft such as:
F-35C.
F/A-18 capable of striking targets.
EA-18 Growler electronic warfare aircraft capable of jamming enemy defenses.
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing a Pentagon official, the carrier is accompanied by three destroyers capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In addition, the United States has deployed two other destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz, placing them close to a vital shipping lane that Iran might attempt to close in the event of an attack, according to the same source.
The United States has also deployed F-15E fighters and is in the process of transferring two air defense systems, Patriot and THAAD, to the region to help protect U.S. facilities and its allies from potential Iranian retaliation. More reinforcements are expected within one to two weeks, according to flight-tracking data and U.S. officials.
Concerns
Dana Stroul, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East under former President Joe Biden’s administration, said: “It seems to me that whenever Trump orders this kind of military build-up, he carries out his decisions.”
Amid threats of tariffs and other warnings he has issued, widespread speculation arose about possible retreats by Trump. However, regarding military force, he has not backed down but remained firm in his stance.
The United States had previously supported and participated in a war waged by Israel against Iran that lasted twelve days last June.
“Comprehensive response”
For its part, Iran warned of a “comprehensive response that will bring regret” to any potential attack.
Referring to the American aircraft carrier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail said that “the arrival of such a vessel will not affect Iran’s determination or seriousness in defending the Iranian nation.”
