WW3 tensions reach breaking point as US aircraft carrier tracked near Iran | World | News
Satellite imagery has confirmed the presence of the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of Oman, roughly 700km from Iran, as Washington continues to escalate pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme and recent crackdown on protesters. The deployment comes as US and Iranian officials prepare for a second round of talks in Switzerland on Tuesday, focusing on Iran’s nuclear programme and the potential lifting of American economic sanctions. Washington has indicated it also wants to address additional issues in the discussions.
The Abraham Lincoln’s presence forms part of a broader US military build-up in the Middle East. European Sentinel-2 satellite images were used to locate the carrier, which leads a strike group of three guided missile destroyers, carries 90 aircraft, including F-35 fighters, and has a crew of 5,680. The carrier was reportedly deployed to the Gulf in late January but had not previously been captured in satellite imagery due to limited coverage of open sea areas.
The team at BBC Verify has tracked 12 US ships in the region, including the Abraham Lincoln’s carrier strike group, additional destroyers capable of long-range missile strikes, and specialist combat ships stationed at Bahrain’s naval base. Two destroyers were observed in the eastern Mediterranean near Souda Bay, with another in the Red Sea.
US aircraft deployments have also increased, with more F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets stationed at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, alongside additional cargo, refuelling, and communications aircraft arriving from the US and Europe.
In parallel, the US is reportedly sending the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest warship, to the Middle East, potentially arriving within three weeks. A US Central Command release in February showed the Abraham Lincoln flanked by destroyers, fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and coastguard vessels in the Arabian Sea, in a clear display of military capability.
ran has responded with its own show of force. On Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted a maritime drill in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit route. The IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency reported Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour was seen inspecting vessels and overseeing missile launches. Around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes through the strait, including exports from Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal.
Military intelligence expert Justin Crump told BBC Verify: “The current US build-up is more depth and sustainability than previous operations, such as the capture attempt of former Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro or last year’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during Operation Midnight Hammer.”
Unlike prior operations, the present deployment is capable of sustaining extended engagements, with eight US airbases in the region supporting a potential sortie rate of around 800 aircraft missions per day.
Mr Crump added: “What we are seeing isn’t just strike preparation, but a broader deterrent deployment capable of being scaled up or down. It’s designed to sustain an engagement and counter all potential responses against US assets in the region and, of course, Israel.”
The Abraham Lincoln’s confirmed location underscores the growing tensions in the Gulf and highlights the strategic importance of the region for both US and Iranian military planning.
