USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group Enters Middle East as Trump Weighs Options on Iran

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships have entered the Middle East, according to U.S. officials, significantly expanding President Donald Trump’s military options as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

Trump warned last week that a large U.S. naval force was heading toward Iran, describing it as a precautionary move rather than a declaration of imminent action. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” the president said at the time. While Trump previously pulled back from launching strikes earlier this month, U.S. officials say military action against Tehran has not been ruled out following reports of mass killings of protesters.

The carrier strike group, now within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, includes the USS Abraham Lincoln along with three guided-missile destroyers — the USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., USS Spruance, and USS Michael Murphy. The carrier air wing is equipped with F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft capable of jamming enemy defenses, and MH-60 helicopters. As of Monday morning, the strike group had not yet reached its final operational position and was not considered “on station,” according to a U.S. official who confirmed the deployment to CBS News.

The Middle East had been without a U.S. aircraft carrier for several months after the USS Gerald R. Ford was redeployed to the Caribbean last fall amid rising tensions with Venezuela. The Lincoln had been operating in the South China Sea before being ordered westward as unrest intensified in Iran.

In addition to naval assets, the United States has moved F-15E fighter jets to a base in Jordan and is deploying Patriot and THAAD air-defense systems across the region. U.S. officials say the measures are intended to protect American forces and regional partners from potential Iranian retaliation. Some of the equipment has already arrived, with additional systems expected to be in place within the next one to two weeks.

The military buildup comes as reports from inside Iran paint an increasingly grim picture. Widespread protests that began in late December have been met with what multiple human-rights groups describe as the deadliest crackdown in the Islamic Republic’s history. While Iranian officials reportedly assured Washington that executions would not take place, Israeli intelligence shared evidence contradicting those claims, according to Israel Hayom. The intelligence, passed to the U.S. government, documented live fire against demonstrators and executions carried out after arrests.

Opposition-linked outlets and international media have reported staggering casualty figures. A recent TIME magazine investigation cited testimony from senior Iranian health officials and a network of physicians inside the country, estimating that more than 30,000 protesters were killed during a two-day internet blackout. According to the report, the scale of the killings overwhelmed the regime’s capacity to manage the dead, exhausting supplies of body bags and forcing the use of large trucks to transport bodies. Additional reports indicate hundreds were executed by shooting or hanging without trial.

Iranian leaders have responded to the U.S. deployment with sharp warnings. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its forces have their “finger on the trigger,” cautioning the United States and Israel against “any miscalculation,” according to Iran-linked Nournews and The Associated Press. Tehran-backed terrorist factions across the region have also signaled readiness for conflict.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has reportedly gone into hiding amid fears of potential U.S. airstrikes, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post. U.S. officials have not confirmed any changes to rules of engagement or clarified whether the carrier group’s mission will focus on deterrence, contingency planning, or potential offensive operations.

Despite the growing military posture, internal debate continues within the Trump administration. Israeli media reported that special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner have urged caution, warning that direct intervention could ignite a wider regional war and undermine ongoing efforts to bring long-term stability to the Middle East.

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