Independent Reveals Iranian Retaliation Crippled USS Abraham Lincoln’s Supply Chain

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, The Independent has exposed the critical reasons behind the dire situation aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during its deployment in operations against Iran. The report highlights that the carrier endured over 270 days at sea, facing unprecedented logistical hurdles stemming from Iranian retaliatory attacks.

The Independent’s investigative report reveals that critical shortages of food and other essential supplies, which led to widespread protests among the crew regarding the substandard conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, were a direct consequence of Iranian attacks. These strikes devastated a key naval base in Bahrain, compelling the carrier to depend on a supply base located approximately 2,200 miles away.

The U.S. Navy’s naval support activity in the Persian Gulf, known as NSA Bahrain, serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Fifth Fleet. The Fifth Fleet had inaugurated a state-of-the-art command and control facility valued at $25 million in 2004 to bolster naval military operations across Western Asia. However, according to The New York Times, this facility was extensively damaged by missiles and drones on February 28, 2026, the first day of President Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran.

Following this incident, the Navy initiated the use of its base on Diego Garcia, a remote British-administered island in the Indian Ocean south of the Maldives, as a new logistical hub. This strategic shift resulted in supply shortages for the Lincoln, which carries a crew of approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines. Since departing its homeport in San Diego on November 21, 2025, the carrier had logged a record of over 270 consecutive days at sea, a duration not seen since the Vietnam War. Additionally, the crew was denied access to “Liberty Port,” which would have provided opportunities for shore leave.

In recent weeks, relatives of some crew members have shared accounts detailing insufficient and inedible meals, moldy shower facilities, non-operational toilets, and inconsistent laundry services aboard the Lincoln, according to The Independent.