U.S. Naval Forces Shift Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
US Navy News – Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen D. Doyle II
The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, initially scheduled for deployment, has been redirected to the Middle East to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group. The Lincoln, currently docked in Guam for a port visit, is expected to arrive in the region soon, although the exact timeline remains unclear. While this deployment doesn’t extend the sailors’ time away from their families, it does place them at the centre of escalating tensions, as violence in Gaza and Israel spreads to neighbouring areas.
Additionally, two of the five destroyers accompanying the USS Theodore Roosevelt—the USS Laboon and USS Cole—have been ordered to move towards the Red Sea and Israel. This group is currently operating near Iran in the Gulf of Oman, according to Navy sources.
The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), consisting of the USS Wasp, USS Oak Hill, USS New York, and the destroyers USS Roosevelt and USS Bulkeley, has also been stationed in the eastern Mediterranean since before this recent announcement.
Tensions have been high in the region since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in over a thousand Israeli deaths and hundreds of hostages. Cease-fire negotiations and hostage release discussions had been making progress, but recent escalations, including an Israeli airstrike in Beirut and the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, have reignited hostilities. In response, Iran and its allies held a meeting last week to discuss possible retaliation.
The U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel” advisory for Lebanon, citing the increasing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The U.K. government has also urged its citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available.
The Wasp ARG, which includes approximately 2,200 Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, has been tasked with preventing the conflict between Hamas and Israel from escalating into a broader regional war, according to a Marine Corps spokesperson.