A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group has entered the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East and Iran, a U.S. official said on Monday, amid renewed warnings from Iranian military leaders.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group crossed into the region as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reiterated threats against the United States and Israel, days after a senior commander said Iranian forces had their “finger on the trigger.”
The strike group consists of the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and three guided-missile destroyers the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., the USS Spruance and the USS Michael Murphy. Aircraft aboard the carrier include F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-35C fighter jets and MH-60R/S helicopters.
A U.S. official said the naval force was not yet “on station” as of Monday morning Eastern Time, meaning it had not reached its final operational position.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a “massive fleet” of U.S. warships was heading toward Iran “just in case” military action was required, though he added that force might not be used.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iranian leaders against the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of people arrested during nationwide protests that began in late December. The demonstrations are the largest challenge to Iran’s ruling system in years.
Over the weekend, Nournews, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported that IRGC commander Gen. Mohammad Pakpour warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guards and dear Iran stand more ready than ever, finger on the trigger, to execute the orders and directives of the Commander-in-Chief,” Pakpour was quoted as saying.
On Monday, Iran’s Defense Ministry spokesperson Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik also warned Israel and the United States against any potential military strike, saying it would be met with a response “more painful and more decisive than in the past.”
