USS Abraham Lincoln in action as US ramps up pressure on Iran video

The US Central Command has released footage highlighting daily operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, underscoring Washington’s growing military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to rise.

A time-lapse video shared on February 5 shows dozens of sailors and CENTCOM personnel working in coordinated teams to launch US fighter jets from the deck of the nuclear-powered carrier. The showcase comes shortly after the USS Lincoln intercepted an Iranian drone that had flown toward the warship.

“Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are trained to work as a team to launch and recover safely and on time, every time,” CENTCOM said in a post on the social media platform X.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is a key element of what President Donald Trump has described as a “massive Armada” being assembled in the Middle East amid intensifying negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and Tehran’s violent suppression of protests.

The carrier arrived in the region earlier this year along with its full strike group, significantly boosting US airpower with additional F-35C and F-18 fighter jets capable of striking targets deep inside Iranian territory.

The vessel faced its first major test of the current standoff on Tuesday, when it shot down an Iranian suicide drone over the Arabian Sea after the aircraft “aggressively approached” the US warship.

“Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

“Iran’s unnecessary aggression near US forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilisation,” the military added.

By Tamilla Hasanova