‘No ship is going past our Navy’: Trump as USS Abraham Lincoln leads US blockade operations in Arabian Sea
The United States has deployed more than 12 naval vessels and upwards of 100 aircraft, involving over 10,000 service members, to enforce a maritime blockade targeting Iran’s ports and coastline, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday.In a post on X, CENTCOM clarified that the blockade applies to Iranian ports and coastal areas and is not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Arabian Sea as the United States blockades Iran’s ports and coastline. U.S. forces are NOT blockading the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.
The deployment includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln operating in the Arabian Sea, along with guided-missile destroyers such as the USS Delbert D.
Black (DDG 119), which are tasked with monitoring and intercepting vessels in Iranian waters.The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that entered service in November 1989. Approximately 333 metres long and displacing over 1 lakh tonnes when fully loaded, it is among the largest warships ever built. Two Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors power four steam turbines, generating 2.60 lakh horsepower.
‘No ship is going past our Navy’
President Donald Trump, commenting on the operation, said: “We’re doing very well with the blockade. It’s very routine for us. The Navy’s incredible, and I think the blockade is doing very well. No ship is even thinking about entering. No ship is going past our Navy,” he said.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Dan Caine, told reporters that the blockade applies to all ships, irrespective of their nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports.“Let me be clear, this blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The US action is a blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran’s territorial seas and in international waters,” Caine said.He added that the joint force would actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessels or any vessels attempting to provide material support to Iran, including “dark fleet” vessels carrying Iranian oil that evade international regulations.Caine emphasised that during the current pause in hostilities, the US joint force remains postured and ready to resume major combat operations “at literally a moment’s notice.”The blockade follows the collapse of US-Iran talks in Pakistan and comes amid a fragile two-week ceasefire.
