US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said today that the US can maintain its blockade of Iranian ports as long as necessary, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“The US Navy can maintain such a blockade indefinitely, because we will rotate the ships, as we have done so far“, Hegseth told journalists during his visit to Panama.
He added that the media had appeared “completely distorted“ claims about the American aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln“.
“We are taking measures to ensure that every crew, every captain has everything that we can provide at any given time“, emphasized the American Secretary of Defense. According to him, some of the ships and crews have been deployed to the Middle East for longer than others. “Nobody has greater respect and gratitude for these sailors than I do. What they do in these open seas, in such harsh conditions and with fewer port stops, is incredible“, continued Hegseth.
The aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln“ and several destroyers arrived in the Middle East in January, and the US and Israel began conducting strikes against Iran in late February.
Prolonged missions can have a major impact on the mental health of service members, especially during wartime. This has always been a challenge for the US Navy. Sailors must maintain a heightened level of alertness and readiness, especially in light of the threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran, Reuters notes.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Well said in response to a question about the poor conditions on the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln“ that President Donald Trump and Hegseth are committed to ensuring that the US military has “the resources needed to counter any threat to the United States“.
Democratic congressmen are expressing dissatisfaction with the long period in which “Abraham Lincoln“ remains stationed in the Middle East and by the poor conditions on board.
“There are numerous reports of shortages of basic provisions, water contamination, plumbing problems, deteriorating mental health, concerns about safety on deck, and postal system outages“, Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote in a letter he sent to Hegseth and U.S. Navy Secretary Hong Kao this week.