The Department of War is moving the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group from the South China Sea to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate following massive nationwide protests inside Iran.
The strike group is expected to take about a week to reach the CENTCOM area of operations, NewsNation reported Wednesday.
The Abraham Lincoln is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, along with Carrier Air Wing 9 and multiple Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 21. Carrier Air Wing 9 includes a mix of fighter, electronic attack, airborne early warning, logistics and helicopter squadrons operating more than 70 aircraft.
The shift comes amid reports that the likelihood of a U.S. strike on Iran has increased significantly in recent days, as the Iranian regime warned it was prepared to respond "decisively" to any action taken against it.
The warning came on the 17th day of deadly protests that have swept the country, The Times of Israel reported Wednesday.
President Donald Trump held a lengthy discussion Tuesday with advisers as the unrest continued, according to the Times of Israel.
A U.S. source quoted by Israeli Channel 12 said that as "the bloodshed in Iran is continuing," it was likely Trump "will have to do something within a day or two at the latest."
Iran extended an order closing its airspace to commercial aircraft Thursday, the Times reported. A notice said the closure is estimated to last until 7:30 a.m. local time. A previous order had closed the airspace for just over two hours.
CENTCOM's area of responsibility covers more than 4 million square miles, spanning Northeast Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. It encompasses 21 countries, including Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan.
Some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate by Wednesday night, NewsNation reported, citing a U.S. official and the Gulf country. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom advised against all but essential travel to Israel.
Protests in Iran erupted in late December, initially triggered by a sharp economic downturn, a collapse of the national currency and soaring inflation.
They quickly spread from Tehran's Grand Bazaar to cities across all 31 provinces. Demonstrators soon adopted broader anti-government and regime-change demands, making the unrest the largest the country has seen in several years.
Authorities have responded with a harsh crackdown that has included near-total internet and communications blackouts, lethal force by security forces, mass arrests and reports of thousands of deaths. Demonstrators have continued to mobilize despite government repression.
Trump on Tuesday expressed solidarity with Iranian citizens and urged them to continue pressing the government while documenting what he described as abuse and killings by authorities.
"To all Iranian patriots, keep protesting," Trump said at the Detroit Economic Club in remarks that aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform. "Take over your institutions if possible and save the name of the killers and the abusers that are abusing you. You're being very badly abused."
Trump said reports of deaths linked to the protests vary but stressed that any loss of life is unacceptable.
"If the numbers are right and I hear five different sets of numbers, I hear numbers. Look, one death is too much, but I hear much lower numbers than I hear much higher numbers," he said. "But I say save their names because they'll pay a very big price."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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