The supply issues plaguing the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) aircraft carrier stem from Iranian drone and missile attacks on a naval base in Bahrain early in the US-Iran war, The New York Times reported on Friday.
According to the report, the US Navy initially used the Bahrain base for supply operations in its offensive against Iran, but was forced to change strategies following Iran's attacks on the base.
The US Navy decided to move its supply operations to the UK naval base located on the island of Diego Garcia, which the NYT noted sits over 3,500 km from the two US carrier strike groups operating in the Gulf of Oman.
The NYT attributed the base change to a direct impact on the supply problems currently facing the USS Abraham Lincoln, which, according to US Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), include shortages, water contamination, and several other issues that have arisen over the past months.
Blumenthal, a US Marine Corps Reserve veteran, sent a letter to Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday demanding a formal inquiry into the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“The Lincoln’s extended deployment raises broader questions about the Navy’s ability to sustainably generate carrier forces while preserving service member well-being, maintenance, schedules, fleet readiness, and the capacity to respond to future contingencies,” Blumenthal wrote.
CENTCOM denies ship crew members attempted to jump off
Further concerns regard the ship's crew amid reports that several have attempted to jump off the aircraft carrier, facing deteriorating mental health, as well as hygiene and safety issues, claims that US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied in an X/Twitter post on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns later on Friday, and the NYT quoted him as saying the ship's deployment length is "not nearly long enough."
According to the NYT, a reporter asked Trump whether the crew's families are concerned, and he replied, "No, they’re not," adding that the carrier would soon be relieved by "another very similar ship.”
Miriam Sela-Eitam and Esther Davis contributed to this report.