The United States is preparing to deploy a new aircraft carrier to the Middle East to relieve military personnel stationed on USS Abraham Lincoln for more than 200 days amid growing concerns about living conditions on the ship, according to a report.
The US military is understood to be preparing to replace the Lincoln with the USS George Washington as part of a scheduled Middle East deployed, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials.
The Lincoln has been deployed for more than 250 days and has not made a port call in 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea, according to US senator Richard Blumenthal, who wrote to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth about concerns for those on board.
Mr Blumenthal cited reports of “shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system”.
Hegseth insisted on Thursday that the US was prepared to maintain its blockade on Iran “indefinitely”, however, saying the military had the means to rotate its ships.
"The United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth said, adding that he is advising president Donald Trump to keep applying economic pressure on Iran.
Read MoreDesperate US sailors trying to jump overboard on extended Middle East deployment, families say
Desperate bid to stop one of worst oil spills in years as Russian ship runs aground near Oman
CIA ‘had low confidence’ in Trump assassination threat that sparked secret Air Force One swap
Oil spill off Oman reaches mainland as recovery efforts impacted by war zone
Key Points
- US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says
- Iran mocks Trump for switching planes over 'assassination threat'
- Iran and Oman work to clean oil spills from attacked ships
- Vance says Iran war will end with US in stronger position
- Oil steadies after US threatens indefinite blockade
Sailor’s texts reveal deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln
11:10 , James ReynoldsText messages sent home by a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have revealed new details about the deteriorating conditions on board, according to a report.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier was deployed to the Middle East last November with around 5,000 crew on board and has been supporting President Donald Trump’s war with Iran since the spring.
It had been expected to be deployed until May but its stay has been extended and there is currently no end date in sight, a situation that has led to a number of recent reports about dwindling morale.
In full:
Sailor’s texts reveal deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln, report says
Top war aim is now keeping down gas prices, says JD Vance
10:40 , James ReynoldsUS vice president JD Vance said the first aim of the Iran war is keeping down gas prices for Americans - before the stated goal of ostensibly stopping Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
Pressed on the “seesawing” between pursuing talks and attacking Iran on Thursday, Mr Vance told Fox News that he believed the recurring “issue” is that Tehran does not always “honour” its deals.
He went on to outline new objectives for the war, saying goal “number one” was to “keep oil and gasoline cheap for Americans all over our country”.
He added: “And then, obviously, goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
“I feel confident we’re accomplishing both of those goals, but it’s inherently an unpredictable thing, because the Iranians themselves are unpredictable, and they sometimes don’t honor the commitments they’ve made to us.”
After the US attacked Iran in February, Trump laid out a set of objectives for the war which included: destroying Iran’s stockpile of missiles and drones, degrading its military capabilities, preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon, and stopping Iran from arming and funding proxy groups across the region.
Watch: Hegseth says US can keep up naval blockade ‘indefinitely’ after Tehran vows to prolong war
10:10 , James ReynoldsHegseth says US could maintain 'indefinite' blockade of Iran
09:40 , James ReynoldsThe United States on Thursday said that it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and would ratchet up pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have floundered.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. military has the capability to maintain a naval presence in the region to enforce its blockade of Iran, which has inflicted severe economic damage on the country.
"Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth told reporters during a trip to Panama.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to eight vessels on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of about 12 vessels, and 130 to 140 ships before the war.
The US lifted its blockade of Iran's shipping and ports for a month in mid-June but has since reimposed it, cutting off Tehran's primary source of hard currency and compounding earlier losses from wartime strikes on its energy infrastructure.
Catch up: US cannot verify Israeli warnings of assassination attempts on Trump - report
09:10 , James ReynoldsThe US has received several warnings from Israel over the past year that Iran intended to assassinate President Donald Trump that US intelligence officials could not independently verify, US officials have said.
The warnings, passed to US intelligence agencies and in some cases relayed directly by Israeli officials to senior White House officials, included possible plots to shoot Trump with a sniper or recruit someone to attack him with a knife at a large public event, a current and two former officials said.
The tips apparently began in the lead-up to the 12-day war in June 2025 and intensified prior to the Us decision to go to war in Iran in February.
Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara in July, Israeli officials allegedly briefed the White House about intelligence that indicated Iran may try to kill Trump, potentially with a shoulder-launched missile, while he traveled on Air Force One for the summit, the officials said.
The US intelligence community has long assessed that Iran wants to retaliate for Trump’s killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. But the Central Intelligence Agency has not been able to corroborate some of the specific threats against Trump's life shared by Israeli intelligence since early last year, the officials said.
Hitmen, toilets and secret plane swaps: Foreign plots to kill Trump
08:40 , James ReynoldsThe US president has faced several plots on his life both at home and abroad, Maira Butt reports
Hitmen, personal toilets and secret plane swaps: The foreign plots to kill Trump
Catch up: Hegseth says US can keep up naval blockade ‘indefinitely’
08:25 , James ReynoldsDefence secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that the US military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran "indefinitely", as talks with Tehran hit an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz.
"The United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth said, adding that he is advising president Donald Trump to keep applying economic pressure on Iran.
His statement comes as Iran said it could deliberately prolong the war with the US until Trump leaves office, in order to send a message that attacking the country has lasting consequences.
Mohammad Reza Naghdi, senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, said dragging out the war would show any future US administration that “there is a cost” to hostile endeavours against Iran."We have to attain deterrence so that the enemy never dares to attack us, so we can live with security," he told PBS NewsHour.
The CIA doesn’t believe Israeli intel. Where does that leave Trump?
08:10 , James ReynoldsAn extraordinary operation to transport Trump onto a military plane in Ankara in a catering truck was prompted by a warning from Israel of a potential Iranian assassination attempt. But with the CIA saying they had ‘low confidence’ in the intel, experts tell Maira Butt that the relationship between the allies is under increasing strain
The CIA doesn’t believe Israeli intel. Where does that leave a fragile relationship?
Gas prices hit their highest mark ever for mid August
07:40 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarGas prices this week hit their highest-ever price for this point in the year, according to GasBuddy.
Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, reported in a post on X that gas prices have never gone above $4 per gallon after August 12 in any year.
On Wednesday morning, the average fuel price was just over $4 per gallon. The last time fuel cost nearly that much around mid-August was in 2022 when the national average gas price was $3.98 per gallon.
More here.
Gas prices hit their highest mark ever for mid August as Trump’s Iran war drags on
Egypt condemns attack on two UAE ships in Strait of Hormuz
07:20 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarEgypt and Bahrain have condemned an alleged Iranian attack on two United Arab Emirates ships as they crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
Egypt this morning said the attack threatened security and freedom of navigation. It expressed solidarity with the UAE and called for restraint, de-escalation and respect for international law to maintain security.
Bahrain's foreign ministry this morning called the strike an "Iranian terrorist attack" that violated international law and rules governing freedom of navigation.
US sailors trying to jump overboard on extended Middle East deployment, families say
07:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarDesperate sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have tried to jump overboard during an extended deployment in the Middle East, their families say.
The aircraft carrier, crewed by around 5,000 sailors and Marines, has been deployed since November 21 but more lately has been supporting U.S. military operations in the war with Iran. The deployment had been expected to end in May but has been extended with no current return date, families told The Military Times.
More here.
US sailors trying to jump overboard amid Middle East deployment, families say
Yemeni soldier killed in clashes with Houthis
06:43 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAt least one government soldier was killed and another critically wounded in clashes with the Houthis in the mountainous province of Taiz, Yemeni military officials said.
The fighting came as part of a spate of recent Houthi attacks on government-held areas across the country. Dozens of government troops have been killed since last week, the Yemeni military said.
The Houthis also said they launched another drone attack on an Aramco oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials did not immediately comment on the reported attack in the city of Jazan.
Last weekend, the Houthis fired drones at the refinery, where the Saudi energy ministry reported a fire but no casualties.
The CIA no longer believes Israeli intel. Where does that leave Trump’s ties with Netanyahu?
06:32 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAn extraordinary operation to transport Trump onto a military plane in Ankara in a catering truck was prompted by a warning from Israel of a potential Iranian assassination attempt. But with the CIA saying they had ‘low confidence’ in the intel, experts tell Maira Butt that the relationship between the allies is under increasing strain.
More here.
The CIA doesn’t believe Israeli intel. Where does that leave a fragile relationship?
Hormuz shipping traffic below monthly average
06:15 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarShipping traffic at the Strait of Hormuz fell below the monthly average towards the end of the week due to volatile sentiment between the United States and Iran, with both countries making competing claims over its control.
The Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's control and management", the recently appointed head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit said. Meanwhile, the US said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and would ratchet up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have floundered.
Commodity vessel transits at Hormuz picked up slightly yesterday with nine ships crossing, but remained lower than the month's daily average of 12, based on Kpler data in August so far.
Iran mocks Trump for switching planes over 'assassination threat'
05:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran has been mocking Donald Trump on social media after it was revealed that he secretly switched aircraft while returning from Turkey over an alleged assassination threat from Tehran.
Iran's embassy in South Africa, in a post on X, said Trump "will be hidden in a trash can before long".
He will be hidden in a trash can before long. pic.twitter.com/ZTkAahNIKw
— Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) August 11, 2026
Jared Kushner to head to Middle East for Gaza talks
05:30 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarPresident Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will travel to the Middle East next week to try to advance plans for an end to the conflict in Gaza after a deal recently announced by the Trump administration ran into Israeli opposition.
An official with the Board of Peace, the body Trump established to oversee the fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said Kushner, board high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and executive board member Tony Blair would arrive in Israel on Sunday.
The group will then travel to Cairo, where meetings of a Palestinian technocratic group set to assume control of Gaza under a US-brokered ceasefire deal have been taking place for the past several months.
Iran and Oman work to clean oil spills from attacked ships
05:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIran said it was working to clean up an oil spill off Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Images distributed by Iran's semiofficial news agency ISNA showed oil fouling the island's beaches.
While Iran hasn't said what caused the spill, the firm TankerTrackers.com says it appears to have started with an Iranian attack on a bulk carrier off Oman.
Oman is responding to another spill in the Arabian Sea, coming from a tanker grounded off its southern coast. The tanker Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned vessel believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet", has been grounded since reporting an explosion in June.
A British maritime risk and response company, which has been hired to salvage the tanker, said oil from the ship has reached shores hundreds of km north of the vessel.
Watch: Iran threatens to prolong war until Trump’s term ends
05:00 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarVance says Iran war will end with US in stronger position
04:45 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarVice president JD Vance appeared to be lowering expectations for the Strait of Hormuz to return to the way it was before the war.
He predicted in an interview on Fox News that the war will end with the US in a stronger position, with Iran not having a nuclear weapon, and with the Strait of Hormuz "returned to a place where oil and gas prices are stable for the American people".
"That's goal number one: keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country," he said.
The second goal, according to Vance, is to ensure that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon.
Oil steadies after US threatens indefinite blockade
04:28 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarOil prices inched up this morning after the US threatened an indefinite naval blockade of Iran, reviving concerns about supply of crude after the previous session's fall on a weaker outlook for demand and a large build in US stocks.
Brent futures rose 1 cent, or 0.1 per cent, to $87.08 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 6 cents to $81.31 a barrel.
Yesterday, the US warned that it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely and ramp up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks have stalled.
ICYMI: Trump demands compensation from Iran in snub to six-point ultimatum
04:02 , Rachel DobkinCrew of Yemeni vessel recount their chaotic rescue after Houthis' deadly attack
02:58 , Sam RkainaCrew members of a Yemeni commercial ship who survived a deadly attack by Houthi rebels earlier this week said a second missile struck the vessel just as rescue efforts from the initial strike were underway, causing even more chaos and casualties.
In all, three ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis struck the ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, just off Yemen’s coast, as it was coming into port, killing six people and injuring at least nine others, according to Yemeni authorities.
It was part of an escalating campaign by the Houthis and their first deadly attack this year on a vessel navigating the strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and accounts for roughly 12 per cent of global trade.
“People were burning ... it was a strange scene of doomsday,” said Zaheer Ahmed, a Pakistani crew member recovering at a hospital in the port city of Mokha.
“I shouted for help and a Yemeni soldier came to my aid,” said Ahmed, who was injured in both legs.
All three of the crew members The Associated Press interviewed at the hospital described intense fire, panic and damage aboard the ship, which was struck before dawn on Tuesday.
US official says it would be 'wise' for Iran to agree to peace deal
02:01 , Rachel DobkinA US official has said it would be “wise” for Iran to agree to a peace deal as the war in the Middle East drags on.
While Donald Trump “has been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, he continues to retain all options if Iran continues to engage in terrorism and refuses to make a deal”, the official told NewsNations.
“The successful sanctions and blockade have crippled Iran’s economy and left Iran in an extremely degraded state. It would be wise for Iran to agree to a deal – otherwise, they know what will happen”.
Top US Democrat calls reports of deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln a 'disgrace'
01:02 , Rachel DobkinA top US Democrat has called reports of deteriorating conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East a “disgrace”.
“Food shortages. Rationing. Mental Health Challenges. Lack of fresh fruits and vegetables”, Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader for the House of Representatives, wrote on X. “Republicans need to end their reckless war of choice in Iran immediately”.
US military shares video of fighter jets over Middle East
Friday 14 August 2026 00:02 , Rachel DobkinA U.S. Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker refuels F-16 fighter jets over the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/Unqm5Opnpt
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 13, 2026
Vance lays out two major goals in Iran war
Thursday 13 August 2026 23:16 , Rachel DobkinUS Vice President JD Vance has laid out two major goals his administration has in the Iran war.
"That's goal number one. Keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country”, Vance told Fox News. “And then obviously, goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. I feel confident we're accomplishing both of those goals”.
Peace talks between the US and Iran, that could potentially include a nuclear deal, have stalled as gas prices in America remain higher than pre-war levels.
Strait of Hormuz traffic remains diminished as war drags on
Thursday 13 August 2026 22:33 , Rachel DobkinMaritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has remained diminished as the Iran war drags on for its sixth month.
Just three ships transited the vital oil waterway in the past 24 hours, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.
Donald Trump has claimed the US has “total control” over the strait, which Iran denies.
Iran hints at another war with the US in the future
Thursday 13 August 2026 21:45 , Sam RkainaIran's joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has claimed no vessel could transit the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's permission.
“The baseless claims made by the United States regarding the normal passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz ... are nothing more than lies and falsehoods,” the command said in a statement published by state media Thursday.
Separately, senior military political official Rasoul Sanaei-Rad said Iran would not reopen the strait unless the other side fulfilled its commitments under the interim deal, adding that the reopening of the waterway was not something the U.S. can achieve unilaterally, according to Fars news.
Sanaei-Rad also warned that Iran would respond more forcefully in any future conflict, saying: “In a possible future war, we will stand more firmly and more offensively.”
Iran and US continue to make competing claims over Hormuz
Thursday 13 August 2026 21:00 , Sam RkainaThe Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's control and management", the recently appointed head of Iran's Basij paramilitary unit said today, a day after Trump said the United States had “total control” of the strategic waterway.
Hossein Taeb said the U.S. had sought to disrupt what he described as the Islamic Republic's popularity in the region by launching another war in the Strait of Hormuz, but had once more been defeated despite claiming Iran had neither an air force nor a navy.
”Today you see that the Strait of Hormuz is under the management and control of the Islamic Republic,” Taeb said, according to the semi-official Fars news. He added that Iran was continuing on its course in complete security.
After the start of the war, which began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Tehran effectively shut the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas was previously shipped.
The U.S. subsequently imposed a naval blockade on Iranian shipping and ports, while saying it would protect freedom of navigation for vessels travelling to and from non-Iranian ports.
Replacement aircraft carrier heading to Middle East after complaints about conditions on USS Lincoln
Thursday 13 August 2026 20:24 , Josh MarcusThe military is reportedly preparing to send a new aircraft carrier to the Middle East to replace the issue-plagued USS Abraham Lincoln, which has carried out a lengthy and high-stakes deployment as part of the Iran war.
The USS George Washington will take the Lincoln’s place, US officials told The Wall Street Journal. The switch is reportedly part of a previously planned rotation.
The Navy has said it is not publicly discussing plans for the carriers because of operational security concerns.
The swap comes after sailors and their families have alleged issues on the Lincoln, including food shortages, months at sea without interruption and deteriorating mental health.
Read on...
Replacement aircraft carrier heading to Middle East after complaints on USS Lincoln
Salvors work to secure ship leaking oil off Oman
Thursday 13 August 2026 20:15 , Sam RkainaSalvors with specialist vessels and other equipment are heading to waters off Oman to try to contain the environmental damage from a spill of Russian crude that has spread for weeks, the risk management firm coordinating the operation said.
The spill from the Caroline Bezengi tanker, apparently the result of an unexplained attack on the vessel in June, has spread around a nature reserve, and hit Oman's coastline on Wednesday.
Risk management firm Ambrey is coordinating the salvage operation and said it had contracted a “leading international oil spill response company”, without naming it.
The response included salvage vessels, aircraft and specialists using 100 metric tons of equipment, it said.
The Caroline Bezengi, carrying an estimated 800,000 barrels of Russian oil and under international sanctions, ran aground on June 30 near an Omani marine nature reserve that is home to wildlife including humpback whales and Socotra cormorants.
US can keep naval blockade on Iranian ports "indefinitely," Pentagon chief says
Thursday 13 August 2026 19:30 , Sam RkainaThe U.S. military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, Defense Secretary Hegseth said on Thursday, adding ships could be rotated in and out of the region as needed.
Hegseth's comments suggest he is advising Donald Trump that the U.S. military can keep applying economic pressure on Iran for as long as needed to help so-far failed negotiations to end the conflict, begun in February.
“Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to,” Hegseth told reporters.
He spoke in Panama after addressing the crew aboard the USS Gridley, a guided-missile destroyer, which had previously deployed to the Middle East.
