US aircraft carrier group enters Central Command waters
WASHINGTON: The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has entered the U.S. Central Command area, which includes Iran, a U.S. official told CBS News.
The deployment comes days after a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander, who said his forces had their “finger on the trigger,” as U.S. warships approached the region.
The strike group consists of the USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided missile destroyers: USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., USS Spruance, and USS Michael Murphy. Onboard the Lincoln are squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-35C fighter jets, and MH-60R/S helicopters.
As of Monday morning Eastern Time, the force was not yet fully “on station,” meaning it had not reached its intended operational position.
President Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. had a “massive fleet” heading toward Iran “just in case” action is needed, but added, “maybe we won’t have to use it.” The president has repeatedly warned Iranian leaders against targeting peaceful demonstrators and against executing protestors arrested since December, when the country experienced its largest wave of anti-government demonstrations in years.
