USS Abraham Lincoln Exits Red Sea Following Yemeni Retaliatory Attacks

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has departed the Red Sea after facing a series of missile and drone attacks launched by Yemeni naval forces last week. The United States Naval Institute (USNI) confirmed the warship’s transition to the US 7th Fleet, marking a rare instance of the region being left without a US carrier strike group.

This withdrawal is only the second time in over a year that the US Navy has left West Asia without a carrier presence. The previous gap occurred in June when the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower shifted to the Mediterranean as the USS Theodore Roosevelt moved to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group initially entered the region in August, joining the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group before the latter’s departure in September.

The Yemeni Armed Forces claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating on November 12 that their naval units had conducted two significant operations against US warships. The actions were described as retaliation for American and British military involvement in Yemen and as a show of solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people amid escalating Israeli aggression in the region.

The strategic redeployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln reflects the intensifying challenges facing US naval operations in the region, as tensions in West Asia continue to mount.