The Pentagon has ordered the San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to move to the Middle East amid turmoil in Iran, according to multiple media reports.
The nuclear-powered carrier and it’s accompanying warships were operating in the South China Sea when the order came.
The strike group includes the San Diego-based guided‑missile destroyer USS Spruance, and two destroyers based in Pearl Harbor, the USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr.
The move comes as protests escalate in Iran over the Islamic country’s moribund economy and restrictive social policies. President Trump has threatened to use military force if protesters are harmed.
With a sizable naval force off Venezuela, there is currently no carrier group in the Mediterranean Sea or Indian Ocean.
