Here's the latest
• US carrier concerns: The US is sending another carrier group to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US official told CNN, adding that the swap was planned. There have been reports of families of sailors aboard the Lincoln raising concerns about mental health and living conditions. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports were “completely misrepresented.”
• Economic pressure: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US will apply measures “never been seen” on Iran, warning “watch this space” for announcements next week. President Donald Trump recently made clear that inflicting economic pain was part of his Iran strategy.
• Strait of Hormuz: A UAE state-owned company said two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the strait. Just 13 vessels crossed the critical waterway on Thursday, according to a maritime intelligence firm. View our interactive on how traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has adapted to each phase of the conflict.
Sailor went overboard off a separate ship in the USS Lincoln strike group this spring
A second sailor deployed to the Middle East as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group went overboard last spring, according to a sailor currently serving on the Lincoln and two US officials.
The crew member who went overboard was serving on the USS Frank E. Peterson Jr., a destroyer that is part of the Lincoln strike group, one of the officials said, adding that the incident occurred on April 12.
The sailor was rescued and then brought onto the Lincoln for medical treatment before being flown off of the carrier for further care, according to the Lincoln sailor and one of the officials.
It was not immediately clear if the sailor had jumped into the water, or had fallen in.
The man overboard incident off of the Peterson is the first reported on any of the other ships in the Lincoln strike group.
CNN was first to report about a sailor who officials said jumped into the water off of the Lincoln in early August during a mental health incident.
The Lincoln crew member who described the rescue of the sailor from the Peterson said that he also witnessed the August incident, saying he “saw the sailor run and jump off with my own eyes.” He described the sailor in the water as removing his life vest and boots while treading water.
Sailors do fall into the water accidentally on occasion, and ships on deployments also regularly face issues with suicidal ideation and attempts. All ships practice man overboard drills to respond to either scenario.
A Navy official downplayed reports about a growing mental health crisis on board the ship, saying in a statement:
“We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”
CNN has reached out to the Navy and US Central Command about the incident with the sailor jumping off the strike group ship but did not receive a response before publication.
No genuinely safe route for shipping in region, says maritime intelligence group
Commercial shipping attempting to navigate in and around the Persian Gulf faces the dual threats of violence in the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi attacks in the Bab al-Mandeb, meaning that there is “currently no genuinely ‘safe’ side of the Arabian Peninsula,” said maritime intelligence group Marisks in their latest intelligence update.
The maritime security situation in the region “has entered a more dangerous phase,” Marisks said. That is due to the “simultaneous emergence” of the US enforcing its blockade of Iranian ports, as well as “targeted attacks at both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb,” which are the two key trade routes out of the energy-rich Gulf countries.
“The two chokepoints can no longer be assessed independently,” the report said. “Pressure at Hormuz is transferring traffic and strategic importance toward Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea outlets, while Houthi pressure against Saudi interests simultaneously threatens that alternative.”
It pointed to several incidents this week, which represent an increased threat level – a fatal strike on a commercial vessel sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb strait; the US military disabling a cargo vessel sailing toward an Iranian port by firing two missiles into its engine room; and a UAE oil company accusing Iran of attacking several of its vessels recently.
Attacks on vessels using the Omani route shows that “Iran appears capable of projecting anti-ship effects across the southern transit area,” Marisks said.
The shipping industry has adapted to these threats, Marisks noted. In the three weeks since the US reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports, more than half of all tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz turned off their transponders to avoid detection while more very large crude carriers have been used than at any point this year, Marisks said.
“This does not indicate normalisation,” the group said. “It indicates commercial adaptation to prolonged disruption.”
Vessel sustains “minor damage” after being hit by drone in Strait of Hormuz, UKMTO says
A vessel was struck by a drone yesterday while travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, which monitors maritime security.
The vessel had sustained “minor damages,” and all crew members were reported safe with no environmental damages reported. The agency did not identify the vessel or say who launched the drone.
Since Iran’s blockade of the strait, a limited number of vessels have been able to safely transit the waterway. Thirteen vessels passed through yesterday, whereas an estimated 120 vessels would pass through the waterway daily before the US-Iran war, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
The US military has also imposed a blockade on ships sailing to and from Iranian ports, seeking to economically pressure Tehran into reopening the trade artery.
Since the war began, UKMTO has received more than 50 reports of incidents involving damages to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman.
CNN’s Issy Roland contributed to this report.
Just 13 vessels crossed Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, says maritime intelligence firm
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is still incredibly limited with only 13 vessels crossing the waterway on Thursday, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
That marked a slight increase from nine vessels making the crossing on Wednesday but still does not reflect US President Donald Trump’s repeated insistence earlier this week that the strait is “open” and under American control.
Nine of the 13 vessels on Thursday followed the Iranian-approved route that the US has warned ships against taking. The other four switched off their tracking transponders to avoid detection so their route is unknown.
And the dangers faced by vessels attempting to navigate the crucial waterway was underlined Thursday night when the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said two of its ships had been attacked in the strait.
As the world burns through its oil stockpiles, the urgency of reopening the strait is becoming more pressing, the International Energy Agency warned Wednesday, even as oil prices have fallen.
CNN’s Mohammed Tawfeeq and Hanna Ziady contributed reporting.
A look at the risks and complications ships encounter in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran and Oman have long shared the waters in the Strait of Hormuz, and since 1968 vessels have traveled through a route established by the International Maritime Organization. In 1974, both countries signed an agreement at the United Nations defining the maritime boundaries in the strait.
Since the war began in February, Iran has exchanged strikes with US forces along the strait and is negotiating with Oman to rethink the long-established routes.
A look at the options ship crew have and the risks they face:
“Danger zone”: Early in the conflict, Iran designated the pre-war route a danger zone and said it had laid mines in the waterway. Ships have still been sailing through, but it is a dangerous option.
Omani route: This route was agreed upon by the International Maritime Organization, but has been rejected by Iran. Ships using this route have been attacked by Iran.
Iranian route: Iran says ships should only use its route and has set up the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to collect fees from vessels passing through the strait. The US has sanctioned the PGSA — meaning anyone who pays Iran to pass could potentially face future US sanctions.
Unknown route: Some ships are still taking a “dark” route to evade surveillance and attacks. This raises the risk of accidents or collisions and can void their insurance.
New risks have caused maritime insurance premiums to skyrocket. Maritime insurance to cross the strait is priced between 7.5% and 10% of a vessel’s value — up from 0.25% before the war.
See how traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is adapting to the war.
What to know about the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier
Reports of low morale and mental health concerns among sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln have raised questions from Congress and families this week.
The aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected to the Middle East to support US operations in the war with Iran. It has not made a port call in more than 200 days.
Here’s a quick look at the warship:
- Commissioned in 1989, the Lincoln is the fifth of the Navy’s 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
- With a length of almost 1,100 feet and displacing more than 100,000 tons, Nimitz-class carriers are among the world’s largest warships, eclipsed only by the US Navy’s Ford-class carriers, of which only one is in service to date.
- The Lincoln has two nuclear reactors, which power four steam turbines that drive four propeller shafts. They give it a top speed of around 35 mph.
- Aboard the carrier are more than 5,000 sailors and air crew for its 90 aircraft, which include F-35 and F/A-18 fighters, EA-18G electronic warfare jets, E-2D airborne early warning and command-and-control aircraft, and CMV-22 tilt-rotor transport and logistics aircraft as well as a fleet of helicopters.
- The jets are launched using four steam catapults, which can accelerate the planes from 0 to 180 mph in three seconds, along the 4.5-acre flight deck.
- The ship makes its own fresh water, with four distilling units producing 400,000 gallons a day from sea water.
- A US official told CNN the Lincoln is expected to be relieved soon by the USS George Washington, the sixth Nimitz-class carrier.
Former naval officers say life on aircraft carriers brings unique mental health stressors
Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988 for help. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.
Keeping morale high on ships the size of US Navy aircraft carriers presents problems that smaller warships may not face, even in times of combat, experienced naval officers say.
Reports have surfaced this week of mental health concerns aboard the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as its crew endures more than 200 days without a port call during operations against Iran.
A sailor was rescued after going overboard earlier this month off of the Lincoln, officials said. The sailor was not injured, and the Navy considered the incident a mental health episode, according to one official.
With more than 5,000 people aboard, keeping them all unified and focused as one team is difficult in a ship larger than some small towns, said Jennifer Parker, a former Royal Australian Navy officer and nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute.
Parker served on Australian destroyers, with a crew of around 200, a size that enabled to commanding officer and executive officer to know the entire ship’s company personally, she said.
But top officers can’t have that kind of relationship with 5,000 sailors, she said.
“I think that would be a much harder leadership proposition on a carrier,” let alone a carrier in wartime conditions, Parker said.
Former US Navy Capt. Carl Schuster, who served three tours on the Lincoln’s sister ship, the USS Nimitz, in the late 1970s and 1980s, said life aboard can be isolating, especially for enlisted crew who work deep inside the 100,000-ton carriers.
“I was an officer, so my work was more mentally than physically focused, and I was out on bridge wings and flight deck several times a day,” Schuster told CNN.
Schuster said even in non-wartime conditions, mental health is a concern.
On each of his three deployments aboard the Nimitz, including two with at least 80 days straight at sea, at least two crew attempted suicide, he said.
“We all have a breaking point, and you don’t see it until it happens to you or someone else,” Schuster said.
On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended the Navy’s record on supporting its sailors.
“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” he said.
US paying price for letting naval fleet shrink, expert says
Reports of low morale among service members and deteriorating living conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln show the US Navy is paying the price for its shipbuilding decisions made decades ago, said Jennifer Parker, a former Royal Australian Navy officer and non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute.
The US fleet has not been able to keep up with the demands being placed upon it as Washington has cut back on its size, Parker told CNN on Friday.
“I suspect that the 200-day deployment (of the Lincoln) is directly related to the lack of ships in the US Navy,” Parker said.
When it comes to aircraft carriers, a look back to the first Gulf War in 1991 shows how stark the drop in numbers has become.
During the height of that conflict, which had 42 days of active combat, the US sent six aircraft carriers to the region from a total fleet of 15.
During the current almost six-month conflict with Iran, the US has had at most three carriers in the region at one time – though only for a matter of days – from a fleet of 11.
One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.
The Ford ended a modern record deployment of 326 days in May, a stretch that included action in Venezuela as well as against Iran.
And that doesn’t count other Navy demands on the carrier fleet, like exercises with allies or keeping a presence in the Indo-Pacific, Parker said.
On Thursday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that reports of conditions on the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented.”
“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented” while talking to reporters on a trip to Central America, though he did not specify his concerns with the reporting.
Catch up: USS Abraham Lincoln to be replaced, Bessent signals US to choke Iran economy
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday indicated Washington will continue to economically isolate Iran and blockade its ports with measures “never been seen.” His remarks come after President Donald Trump made clear on Sunday that inflicting economic pain was part of his Iran strategy.
Meanwhile, the US is sending another carrier group to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US official told CNN. The official said the swap had been previously planned.
Families of sailors on board the Lincoln reportedly raised concerns about living conditions on the ship and the mental health of the crew during an extended deployment for the Iran war. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that conditions on the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is dismissing a Military Times report about American sailors jumping overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln as 'completely misrepresented.' Natalie Oliverio, the Military Times Pentagon reporter who broke the story, tells Erin Burnett Hegseth's 'gaslighting of our force is disrespectful' and says American troops 'deserve transparency and accountability.'
More headlines:
Ship attack: The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said two of its vessels were attacked Thursday while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. ADNOC did not provide further details about who was behind the attack. No group has claimed responsibility yet.
Environment concerns: Greenpeace said the oil spill off the coast of Oman from a shadow fleet tanker now covers hundreds of square miles. The Omani government has yet to confirm the size of the impacted areas.
Price hike held: A southeastern Iranian province has halted plans to sharply raise petrol prices, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency. The proposed price would have represented an enormous jump from the current fuel card rate. In Iran, the rate of inflation for food has soared by nearly 130% over the past 12 months, and people are having to buy food and medicine in installments, according to reports from Iranian media.
Bessent: US will apply measures "never been seen" to economically isolate Iran
The US is going to apply measures that have “never been seen” on Iran, indicating Washington will continue to economically isolate the country and blockade its ports, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday.
He added that the Iran conflict has shown a “temporary spike in energy prices” and said: “We’re going to get to the other side of this and come down.”
US President Donald Trump has indicated that he planned to choke Iran economically. “We are low-keying it,” he told Axios over the weekend. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Friday targeted individuals, exchange houses and companies across several countries that it accused of helping Iran’s Shahr Bank move hundreds of millions of dollars clandestinely.
The Treasury has said these sanctions are its eighth in 2026 targeting Iran’s alleged shadow-banking system under Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
Carrier group on the way to Middle East to replace USS Abraham Lincoln, US official says
The USS George Washington carrier group, which finished a port visit in Vietnam on August 5, is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US official told CNN.
The official said that the swap had been previously planned. It was not immediately clear when the Washington would arrive.
The Lincoln has been the subject of growing concerns about the wellbeing of its crew, with Democratic lawmakers demanding answers from the Pentagon.
CNN first reported on Thursday that a sailor had gone overboard last month, but was quickly rescued and medically evaluated. The circumstances under which the sailor went overboard were not immediately clear nor whether the sailor returned to duty or was evacuated from the ship.
News outlets Stars and Stripes and the Navy Times reported this week that there had been multiple attempts by crew members to jump overboard, citing interviews with sailors and families of those on board who described the impacts of its lengthy deployment.
Since the Lincoln left its home port of San Diego last November, the aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected to the Middle East to support US operations in the war with Iran, now entering its sixth month.
Two UAE vessels attacked in Strait of Hormuz, state-owned company says
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said two of its vessels were attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.
The state-owned energy and petrochemical group said no injuries were reported and the situation was under control.
In a statement published on the UAE’s state news agency WAM, the company emphasized the importance of protecting seafarers and safeguarding freedom of navigation and maritime security.
ADNOC did not provide further details about who was behind the attack. No group has claimed responsibility.
Trump says "we are low-keying" talks with Iran. What it means
After Iran intensified its demands over the weekend before it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump didn’t threaten new strikes but instead indicated that he planned to choke Iran economically. “We are low-keying it,” he told Axios over the weekend. “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”
This broke with Trump’s usual rhetorical pattern in talking about Iran, in which the president generally declares that a conclusive deal with Iran is imminent, threatens to annihilate Iran if it doesn’t comply, then calls the attacks off at the last minute — only to do it all over again.
What, precisely, does it mean to “low-key” the events of a war? It’s not the first time the president has employed this peculiar turn of phrase, transforming a word typically used as an adjective or adverb into a verb. In early April, as Israel’s continued bombing of southern Lebanon threatened negotiations with Iran, Trump used it to describe a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I spoke with Bibi and he’s going to low-key it,” he told NBC News at the time. “I just think we have to be sort of a little more low-key.”
Read the full story here.
