The movement of the carrier strike group, which includes fighter jets, guided missile destroyers and at least one attack submarine, is expected to take about a week, a source told NewsNation.
The shift comes as unrest in Iran has intensified over economic conditions and amid questions about whether Donald Trump will strike the country in support of mass protests challenging the autocratic regime. Earlier this week, Trump encouraged protesters to continue applying pressure and said “help is on the way,” while Tehran responded with its own threats.
Trump has so far held off on ordering strikes and continues to monitor developments, having been advised that a large-scale attack was unlikely to topple the regime and could trigger a wider conflict, The Wall Street Journal reported. Advisers also told him that additional troops and equipment would be needed for any major strike, while a senior U.S. official told The New York Times that any attack “is at least several days away.”
Protests have escalated since late December, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency reporting more than 2,600 people killed and over 184,000 detained, though exact figures remain unclear due to an internet blackout. Iran has restricted information flows, limited flights in and out of Tehran through a NOTAM, and reportedly planned trials and executions of protesters.
Trump said he was told by “sources on the other side” that executions in Iran will stop, but warned that if the killings continue, “very strong action” could still be taken. The administration also announced new sanctions targeting “the architects of the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrators” and alleged shadow banking networks aiding wealthy Iranians.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since late November after departing San Diego without a public Pentagon announcement of its destination. The carrier’s movement marks the latest military signal as Washington weighs its next steps amid escalating tensions with Tehran.
Source: The Hill.
