US Carrier Sails Through Strait of Hormuz
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U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Will Tyndall/Released(WASHINGTON) — An American aircraft carrier passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf over the weekend, in what the U.S. Navy is calling a routine maneuver.
Amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, the USS Abraham Lincoln entered the Gulf on Sunday to conduct scheduled maritime security operations. The carrier had just arrived in the United States Central Command area on Thursday, replacing the USS Stennis, which is now headed home.
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) completed a regular and routine transit of the Strait of Hormuz, January 22, to conduct maritime security operations as scheduled and in support of requirements set by the combatant commander. The transit was completed as previously scheduled and without incident,” the U.S. Navy said in a statement.
In December, Iranian officials had warned the U.S. not to return after the carrier USS John Stennis departed the Gulf. Iran also suggested the Strait may be closed in retaliation over fresh economic sanctions imposed against the country.
The other U.S. carrier currently in the region is the USS Carl Vinson, which is in the Arabian Sea and is providing air cover for troops in Afghanistan.
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