ALWAGHT- USS Abraham Lincoln departs the Red Sea after enduring sustained missile and drone attacks from Yemeni naval units last week.
According to the United States Naval Institute (USNI), the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has joined the US 7th Fleet, leaving West Asia without a carrier for only the second time in over a year. The last time this occurred was in June when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower left the region, transitioning to the Mediterranean as USS Theodore Roosevelt moved to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrived in West Asia in August, joining the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, which departed in September after a seven-month deployment. The recent departure of the Abraham Lincoln follows escalating tensions in the region, including retaliatory strikes from Yemeni forces targeting US warships.
On November 12, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced two major operations against US vessels. The first targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea with cruise missiles and drones, which Sarea claimed disrupted planned US attacks on Yemen. The second operation struck two American destroyers in the Red Sea using ballistic missiles and drones, reportedly achieving its objectives within an eight-hour period.
Saree accused the US and UK of creating military tensions in the Red Sea, impacting maritime navigation, and reiterated Yemen’s solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. Yemeni forces vowed to continue their attacks until Israel halts its offensive, which has so far killed at least 43,922 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 103,898 others.
