US sends USS George Washington to replace USS Abraham Lincoln in Middle East
New: House lawmakers are pressing the Pentagon on mental health concerns, basic supplies, and the USS Lincoln deployment stretched more than 260 days.
The United States is sending the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to replace USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed since November 2025 in operations against Iran. A US official told CNN the swap had been planned, after George Washington completed a port call in Vietnam on August 5, although the arrival time remains unclear. At the same time, conditions aboard Abraham Lincoln have increased political pressure in Washington. Representative Mike Levin and Senator Richard Blumenthal are urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain reports of severe fatigue, inadequate mental health support, problems with water and basic supplies, and repeated extensions of the deployment. The ship has been at sea for more than 260 days and was supposed to finish its mission in May.