The US Central Command chief Adm Brad Cooper has visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea during a regional tour, as tensions remain high across the Middle East following the Iran war.
Cooper visited the long-deployed carrier during a 10-day trip that also took him to Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where he met civilian and military leaders.
Carrier faces strain after extended deployment
The USS Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January and has supported US military operations against Iran, including a blockade on Iranian ports. The carrier strike group has spent more than 240 consecutive days at sea, marking one of its longest uninterrupted deployments.
The visit came amid reports of mental health and supply concerns among personnel aboard the vessel, which can carry more than 5,000 sailors and Marines.
“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said in a statement.
The US Navy’s blockade followed Iran’s move to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz after the war began on 28 February with US and Israeli strikes. Before the conflict, about one-fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas passed through the strategic waterway.
Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran have stalled, while Iran has held discussions with Oman over managing the strait.
Israel strikes Hezbollah commanders in Lebanon
Israel said its strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday targeted two Hezbollah commanders, killing at least 11 people in the deadliest attacks since a June truce between Israel and the Iran-backed group.
The Israeli military said one strike killed Abu Hassan Alaa, whom it described as a senior Hezbollah commander involved in attacks against Israeli troops and civilians.
Another strike targeted Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, also described by Israel as a Hezbollah commander. Lebanese authorities said civilians were among those killed.
The strikes came after Israel and Lebanon announced a framework agreement in June aimed at an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in return for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Hamas delegation holds Cairo talks
A Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya arrived in Cairo for ceasefire discussions with Egyptian officials as mediators pushed efforts to implement a Gaza peace roadmap.
The talks focused on a plan calling for the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the transfer of authority to Palestinian technocrats.
Hamas said it remained committed to implementing US President Donald Trump’s peace plan to end the suffering of Gaza residents and begin reconstruction.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the proposal, saying Israel will not withdraw from areas it controls until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Iran accuses Qatar over missing pilots
Iran accused Qatar of holding three Iranian pilots who went missing after their aircraft were downed in March, but Doha denied the claim.
Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff said Qatar’s armed forces had captured the pilots, while Qatar’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegation and said search and rescue teams had recovered the remains of one pilot.
The dispute marks the first known instance during the conflict in which Iran has accused a regional country hosting US military bases of holding its personnel.
