Middle East crisis Iran war

Reports of health crisis denied “No, no, no”

The White House is pushing back after reports that sailors on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln are living in poor conditions and suffering from mental stress.

President Donald Trump denies that relatives are worried, and does not think the nine-month tour of duty has been too long.

– No, no, no, not nearly long enough, he says, according to AFP.

Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth says the reporting is “completely inaccurate” and Navy Secretary Hung Cao says the media is “trying to paint our soldiers as victims.”

Regarding reports that several sailors have attempted suicide, Cao says that a couple of cases of mental illness “have been treated without fatalities.”

US: sending new aircraft carrier against Iran

The US military is to replace the large aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which is located in the Arabian Sea, with another ship – USS George Washington. The Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for over 250 days and has not docked in any port for 200 days. This week, several US media outlets have reported on a shortage of food and personal supplies on board. There are also reports that crew members tried to jump overboard due to mental stress.

It had been planned for a long time that the aircraft carrier would be replaced with another, according to the WSJ.

The USS George Washington has previously been stationed in the Pacific Ocean, a region that President Donald Trump and his administration have identified as very strategically important due to the rivalry with China.

The fact that the ship is now expected to be moved to the Middle East means that the US is leaving a void in the area, where the Chinese military has previously stationed an aircraft carrier.