AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The protracted US war with Iran has placed immense strain on the country's Navy while simultaneously increasing turmoil at the Pentagon. The Telegraph reported that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has set a new record with over 250 days at sea, including more than 200 days without a port call, conditions that, according to sources, have been accompanied by supply shortages, health problems, and declining crew morale.
Senior US Navy commanders have warned that continuing operations at this level is unsustainable. Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, has stated that only about one-quarter of the country's destroyers are currently ready for deployment. The continued blockade of Iranian ports and efforts to keep the Strait of Hormuz open have placed operational capacity under pressure and increased maintenance and repair issues.
This situation has also raised concerns about America's ability to counter other threats, particularly in the Pacific region and against China. Reports indicate that military commanders have warned Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in internal assessments that continuing large-scale operations against Iran could reduce the military's capability to respond to other threats.
At the same time, the Pentagon is facing instability at senior management levels. Hegseth has seen a number of senior officials depart in recent months, including the Secretary of the Army, and a large number of generals and senior officers have been dismissed or forced to resign. These changes have occurred while the US military is engaged in a long-term military operation in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the war with Iran has also had consequences for civilians. JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, has announced the launch of an investigation into the deadly attack on a wedding ceremony in southern Iran, an attack that, according to preliminary reports, was carried out with an American guided bomb. US officials claimed the target of the attack was a communications facility with both military and civilian applications, and that the military is investigating whether American ordnance struck the wedding venue.
The Telegraph report ultimately warns that continuing the war without establishing a specific end date for operations and without allocating emergency funding could place further strain on the US Navy. Extended missions, delays in repairs, and a reduction in the number of ships ready for deployment are among the consequences that could affect US military readiness in other parts of the world.
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