US Withdraws Last Carrier From Western Pacific Amid Iran War

The United States is temporarily leaving the western Pacific without an aircraft carrier after the USS George Washington was ordered to leave the region for the Middle East, where it is expected to replace the heavily deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.

The move comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to devote significant military resources to its ongoing conflict with Iran, placing additional pressure on the US Navy’s carrier fleet.

The George Washington is expected to relieve the Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the Middle East for an extended period supporting US military operations against Iran. The Lincoln’s deployment was extended beyond its originally planned return date as the conflict continued.

The redeployment means the western Pacific could temporarily have no US aircraft carrier, although American officials could deploy another carrier to the region in the coming months.

The development has raised concerns among some US allies in Asia, particularly as China continues to expand its military activities and assertiveness in the region. Analysts say Beijing could view the temporary absence of an American carrier as an opportunity to strengthen its influence and test US commitments to its Indo-Pacific partners.

Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the administration had previously described the Pacific as a major strategic priority, but argued that the current deployment pattern was moving in the opposite direction.

The carrier rotation also highlights growing pressure on US naval forces. The Abraham Lincoln has spent months at sea, with reports raising concerns about crew fatigue, supply shortages and mental-health challenges. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rejected claims that conditions aboard the ship have been seriously deteriorating, saying reports have been misrepresented.

The US has also maintained a naval blockade around Iranian ports as part of its broader pressure campaign against Tehran. Hegseth said the Navy could sustain the blockade indefinitely by rotating ships in and out of the region.

For Washington, the latest deployment reflects the difficult balance between maintaining its military presence in the Indo-Pacific and meeting the demands of the Iran conflict. For China and US allies across Asia, the temporary carrier gap could become an important test of America’s long-term strategic priorities.