US Commander's Carrier Visit
Top US Middle East Commander Visits USS Lincoln in Arabian Sea During Extended Deployment
Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, wrapped up a 10-day regional tour on Saturday by visiting the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, according to WDRB. The carrier has been at sea for more than 240 days straight — one of the longest uninterrupted deployments in modern Navy history.
The visit comes amid growing pressure over the ship's conditions and an active U.S. naval blockade on Iran. Cooper praised the crew, saying the deployment will be remembered as "one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," Daily Advance reported.
A Record Deployment Pushing Sailors to the Limit
The Lincoln left San Diego in late November 2025. It has now spent more than 200 days inside active combat zones. The ship's air wing has flown over 10,000 sorties and dropped more than 1.5 million pounds of ordnance on Iranian targets, according to Idaho State Journal.
Reports from military outlets describe plumbing failures, water contamination, and severe morale problems aboard the ship. Senator Richard Blumenthal formally demanded an inquiry into the conditions. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao pushed back, saying the media is "trying to paint our warriors as victims" and confirming the Lincoln will rotate home soon.
Trump Claims Hormuz as "U.S. Territory" After Blockade
At a Long Island rally on August 14, President Trump escalated his rhetoric sharply. He said he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz — through which about 20% of the world's seaborne oil flows — a "territory of the United States," Voice of Alexandria reported.
Iran fired back fast. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on X that "the Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by a tweet, nor by an aircraft carrier." He added the strait "will only be closed and opened under Iran's command." Trump dismissed concerns about the deployment's length, saying it was "not nearly long enough."
Blockade Enforcement and the Cost at Home
The U.S. naval blockade has been aggressive. On August 11, American forces disabled a Panamanian cargo ship, the M/V Vela Nova, with Hellfire missiles after it tried to run the blockade. CENTCOM has redirected 55 commercial vessels total for attempting to breach the blockade, according to News-Gazette.
American drivers are feeling the squeeze. The national average gas price has hit $4.08 per gallon — a 29% jump from last year. Trump has urged voters to accept "paying a tiny little bit more" to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced "unprecedented" new economic measures against Iran are coming next week.
Cooper's Regional Tour and Other Mideast Flashpoints
Cooper's 10-day tour covered Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE before ending on the Lincoln. On August 11, the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq also changed hands. Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert passed command of the counter-ISIS task force to Rear Adm. Liam Hulin in Jordan, per WDRB.
Elsewhere in the region, Israel struck southern Lebanon on August 16, killing Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior Hezbollah commander, in an operation that left 11 people dead. Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to restart Gaza ceasefire talks. Iraq's prime minister also reaffirmed that all U.S.-led coalition forces must leave Iraq by September 30, 2026.
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