The US has concentrated a 12-ship strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of Oman, prompting Iran to respond with aggressive naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz.
Satellite imagery from European Sentinel-2 satellites has confirmed the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, roughly 150 miles off Oman. The nuclear-powered carrier, which had been operating in areas with limited coverage since January, leads a strike group of 12 vessels, including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and specialist ships currently positioned near Bahrain.
In response to the US buildup, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) launched maritime exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Monday. Under the supervision of Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour, the drills featured missile launches and inspections of naval assets near Kharg Island. This show of force aims to signal Iran’s readiness to defend the vital oil transit choke point.
Military experts note this deployment offers “more depth and sustainability” than last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer or the Caribbean mission that captured Nicholas Maduro. Expert Justin Crump stated, “What we are seeing isn’t just strike preparation, but rather a broader deterrent deployment capable of being scaled up or down” to counter any potential Iranian retaliation against US or Israeli assets.
NEWS NOW:
- Mexican cartel kingpin ‘El Mencho’ was taken out after authorities tracked mistress to secret love nest
- Anthropic reports AI model “distillation attacks” by rivals, DeepSeek and others
- Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
- Trump predicts Supreme Court will rule against him on birthright citizenship after tariffs loss