Middle East again without US aircraft carriers

A U.S. official confirmed on November 19 that the U.S. Navy's only aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the USS Abraham Lincoln, left the region over the weekend after months of operations there, according to Business Insider .

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Ocean in August.

The USS Lincoln has now entered the area of ​​the 7th Fleet, which stretches from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean . Escorting the aircraft carrier are three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers: USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Michael Murphy, and USS Spruance.

Therefore, there are currently no US aircraft carriers in the Middle East. The last time this happened was in June, when the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower left the region after several months while the USS Theodore Roosevelt had not yet arrived.

The Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in August and served alongside the Roosevelt for several weeks before the Roosevelt departed in September.

'The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are depleting the US arsenal.'

It is unclear whether the U.S. Navy will send other ships to fill the current gap. Currently, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group is operating in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Azores Islands of Portugal. In addition, the U.S. Navy still has four destroyers in the Middle East and numerous other warships in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the official.

The U.S. military has been rotating carrier strike groups, including aircraft carriers, escort ships, and fighter squadrons, to the Middle East to protect commercial and military vessels from the threat posed by Houthi forces in Yemen for over a year. The Pentagon also stated that the naval presence is intended to support Israel and deter Iran and its proxy groups.

According to U.S. special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, the Houthis are determined to strike a U.S. or European warship in their operation in the Red Sea. "Our leadership is extremely concerned about the Houthis' determination to attack us and our friends in the Red Sea, their persistence and resolve to do what they are doing better," Lenderking said.

The Houthi rebels have carried out more than 130 attacks targeting military and civilian vessels supporting the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. While no Western military vessels have been hit, many commercial ships have been struck, some even sunk. "We have shot down almost everything they launch into our path, but this is a growing threat," said Lenderking.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-dong-lai-vang-bong-tau-san-bay-my-185241120162845482.htm