ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — Iranian patrol boats and aircraft shadowed a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group as it transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. But officers on board the USS Abraham Lincoln said there were no incidents with Iranian forces and described the surveillance as routine measures by Tehran near the strategic strait, which is jointly controlled by Iran and Oman.
The trip comes during an escalating showdown between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. The last time an American carrier left the gulf — the USS John C. Stennis in late December — Iran’s army chief warned the U.S. that it should never return.
The Lincoln was the centerpiece of a flotilla that entered the gulf last month along with British and French warships in a display of Western unity against Iranian threats. There was no immediate comment by Iran about the Lincoln’s departure. The Lincoln is expected to provide air support for the NATO mission in Afghanistan starting Thursday. Navy brass in the gulf say another U.S. carrier is due back through the strait soon, but they gave no firm timetables.
