US pulls last aircraft carrier in Pacific as Trump focuses on Iran, Western Hemisphere

The US has pulled its last aircraft carrier from the Pacific, with the USS George Washington set to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. The Lincoln's deployment had been extended from its original May return date due to ongoing operations against Iran.

Analysts say the US's focus on Iran and the Western Hemisphere has left it exposed in vital waterways, with China waiting in the wings. The lack of a US carrier in the Pacific may be short-lived, but it highlights the strain on US aircraft carriers due to the prolonged conflict with Iran.

According to the Associated Press, the extended deployment has taken a toll on American sailors, with concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The US's retreat from the Asia-Pacific region is also seen as contradictory to its previously expressed goals, with some analysts noting that the administration is "doing the exact opposite" of what it claimed to prioritize.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Associated Press, Winnipeg Free Press, Financial Times, The Hill — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.