ALBAWABA — Satellite images reveal two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers patrolling near the Gulf of Oman, signaling US’s growing military presence in the region amid mounting tensions with Iran.
European Union’s Sentinel-2 satellites show the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George HW Bush deployed in the Arabian Sea. Analysis by Al Jazeera’s Open Source Unit showed the USS Abraham Lincoln was around 255km off the south-eastern coast of Iran, near Chabahar, while the two carriers were approximately 165km apart.
The deployment comes as the United States and Iran have again been locked in military confrontation after the collapse of their truce, and as security worries grow around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most strategically critical maritime routes.
One satellite image revealed a long wake behind the USS Abraham Lincoln, meaning that the carrier was moving as the picture was taken. There were a number of other vessels nearby, the nearest being a sailing vessel around 14 kilometers away from the carrier. Other images showed the USS George H.W. Bush operating alongside another Navy vessel, suggesting the ship was part of a bigger carrier strike group.
The U.S. Navy does not release publicly the exact position of its aircraft carriers, but recent official statements revealed that both warships are now operating within the greater Arabian Sea area of operations.
The USS George H.W. Bush joined the area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command earlier this year, and the USS Abraham Lincoln has been performing aviation operations under the U.S. Fifth Fleet in support of regional maritime security.
The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group includes several guided-missile destroyers, as well as Carrier Air Wing Nine, which provides significant offensive and defensive capability, according to the U.S. military.
It is also home to the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, two Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, some of the world's largest warships. The deployment near the Gulf of Oman shows a heightened military posture in the region as Washington and Tehran continue an increasingly heated standoff.
