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New US carrier arrives in Mideast to relieve long-deployed ship The USS George Washington carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, after reports of poor conditions aboard the long-deployed carrier. WASHINGTON: A new US aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the US military announced Thursday (Aug 20), after conditions aboard a long-deployed carrier provoked fresh criticism of US President Donald Trump's war against Iran.

"The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in Middle East during a scheduled deployment after arriving in the CENTCOM theatre yesterday," Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X. The update comes just days after media reports on grim conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier - deployed since November 2025 - had created an unwelcome distraction for Trump in his attempt to sell the already unpopular war.

Several outlets, including specialist military publications, quoted relatives of crew members as saying that living conditions had deteriorated on the Lincoln, with food shortages and broken plumbing. Notably, there have been reports of several suicide attempts.

Trump dismissed the concerns but confirmed another carrier would swap out with the Lincoln. The Japan-based USS George Washington had been operating in the Pacific. Its transfer means there is no longer any US aircraft carrier in that region - a boon for an assertive China.

"The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in Middle East during a scheduled deployment after arriving in the CENTCOM theatre yesterday," Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said in a post on X. The update comes just days after media reports on grim conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier - deployed since November 2025 - had created an unwelcome distraction for Trump in his attempt to sell the already unpopular war.

Several outlets, including specialist military publications, quoted relatives of crew members as saying that living conditions had deteriorated on the Lincoln, with food shortages and broken plumbing. Notably, there have been reports of several suicide attempts.

Trump dismissed the concerns but confirmed another carrier would swap out with the Lincoln. The Japan-based USS George Washington had been operating in the Pacific. Its transfer means there is no longer any US aircraft carrier in that region - a boon for an assertive China.

The Lincoln had departed California in November 2025 for duty in the South China Sea and was rerouted to the Middle East before US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began in late February. Source: AFP/fs Also worth reading Content is loading...

USS George Washington replaces Lincoln amid crew stress concerns The USS George Washington has taken over in the Middle East as the USS Abraham Lincoln heads home after a record deployment. The handover keeps pressure on Iran-linked operations but briefly leaves Asia without a US carrier strike group.

The Asia-based USS George Washington has begun operating in the Middle East, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln after a long deployment that drew scrutiny over reports of crew stress, poor mental health and shortages of food and hygiene products, the US military said on Thursday.

The change comes as the US keeps up operations linked to the Iran war, including a reimposed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. It also leaves Asia without an American aircraft carrier group for now, at a time when China has shown more signs of aggression.

US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, said on social media that the George Washington arrived in the region on Wednesday. It was not clear when the Abraham Lincoln would return to the US or whether it would make a port stop on the way, though the journey takes just over a month.

Concern has grown over the Lincoln's lengthy deployment, which included more than 250 uninterrupted days at sea, a record-setting stretch for the carrier. Reports from the ship pointed to crew stress, poor mental health and shortages of supplies, including food and hygiene products.

Several Democratic lawmakers have sought accountability from the Department of Defence over conditions aboard the Lincoln. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the reports were "completely misrepresented." Hegseth spoke with the Lincoln's crew last week, and Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, visited over the weekend.

In an editorial published in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Cooper wrote that the crew had "delivered a performance for the ages, and now you are going home." In a statement issued after visiting the carrier, he praised its leaders for prioritising mental health and resilience, and said, "History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era.

" Extended carrier deployments can put pressure on both sailors and equipment. Although renewed hostilities between the US and Iran have eased in recent weeks, the Navy is enforcing the reimposed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has not said how it plans to wind down the war.

Hegseth has said the US can maintain the blockade "indefinitely." President Donald Trump this week played down the reports about conditions on the Lincoln, which left its home port in San Diego in November and arrived in the Middle East in January. He described the nearly nine months at sea as a "good period of time", adding that "over the years, we've had them out there much longer.

" Trump also told reporters on Monday that he had spoken to a retired admiral over the weekend who said the Lincoln was "beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of," though he did not name the officer. The George Washington has joined the USS George H.

W. Bush in the Middle East. That leaves Asia without a US carrier strike group for now, though the gap may be brief if the Navy sends another one in the next couple of months. The move highlights the strain of open-ended operations linked to Iran on some American sailors, analysts say, even as the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.

Overall, the George Washington's arrival marks a handover in the Middle East as the Lincoln heads towards home after an unusually long deployment that triggered concern over crew welfare, while the US continues its Iran-related mission and temporarily leaves the Pacific without an American carrier strike group.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday, relieving a long-deployed carrier following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said on social media that the carrier arrived in the region Wednesday. It was not clear when the USS Abraham Lincoln would arrive back in the U.S. or whether it would make a port stop along the way, but the journey takes just over a month.

The Washington arrived as concerns have grown about the Lincoln's lengthy deployment, which has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days, and about reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.

Several Democratic lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense for accountability over conditions aboard the Lincoln, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.” Hegseth spoke with the Lincoln’s crew last week, and Adm.

Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, visited this past weekend. In an editorial published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, Cooper said the crew “delivered a performance for the ages, and now you are going home.” Extended deployments of carriers wear on service members who are away from home for long periods and increase strain on the ship and its equipment.

While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran calmed in recent weeks, the Navy is enforcing a reimposed blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.

Hegseth has said the U.S. can maintain the blockade “indefinitely.” President Donald Trump this week downplayed reports about conditions on the Lincoln, which left its homeport in San Diego in November and arrived in the Middle East in January.

Trump called the nearly nine months at sea that the sailors endured a “good period of time” but added that “over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer.” Trump told reporters Monday that he spoke with a retired admiral over the weekend who recounted being on ships for “much longer.

” Trump said the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.” Trump did not name the admiral. In a statement Sunday after visiting the Lincoln, Cooper praised the carrier's leaders for prioritizing mental health and resilience.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said. The Washington joins the USS George H.W. Bush in the Middle East, leaving Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China has shown more signs of aggression.

The lack of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived if the Navy deploys another in the next couple of months. But it shows how the open-ended operations with Iran are running some American sailors ragged, analysts say, while the Trump administration further retreats from the Asia-Pacific region and focuses on the Western Hemisphere.