By Shelby Holliday
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships have entered the Middle East, U.S. officials said, giving President Trump additional offensive and defense capabilities should he choose to move forward with an attack on Iran.
Trump warned that the U.S. had an armada heading toward the country last week, though he has indicated that he is still deciding on military action. "We have a big force going toward Iran. I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely," he said.
Trump pulled back from attacking Iran earlier this month, but he hasn't taken strikes against the regime off the table after Tehran massacred protesters, according to U.S. officials. The dead are still being counted amid an internet blackout in the country, but some estimates put the toll well beyond 5,000, according to a human-rights group.
The region has been without a carrier since Trump sent the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Caribbean last fall as tensions mounted with Venezuela. The Lincoln had been operating in the South China Sea when it was ordered to the Middle East.
The Lincoln carries F-35C and F/A-18 jet fighters, as well as EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes that can jam enemy defenses. A defense official said it is traveling with three Navy destroyers, which are capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
In addition to the warships, the U.S. has deployed F-15E jet fighters to a base in Jordan, and it is also moving Patriot and Thaad air defenses into the region to help defend American installations and U.S. partners from Iranian counterattacks, according to flight-tracking data and two U.S. officials. Some of the equipment has already moved, and more is expected to be in place in one to two weeks, one of the officials said.
Write to Shelby Holliday at shelby.holliday@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 26, 2026 09:38 ET (14:38 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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