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Satellite imagery confirms USS Abraham Lincoln's position
BBC Verify has pinpointed the location of the US Navy's USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier off Oman's coast, approximately 700 kilometers from Iran. The discovery comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Tehran over its military activities and recent crackdown on protests.
Diplomatic talks scheduled amid military buildup
US and Iranian officials are set to convene in Switzerland on Tuesday for a second round of discussions. Iran states the meeting will address its nuclear program and potential sanctions relief. However, Washington has signaled broader topics may be on the agenda.
US naval presence in the region expands
The Abraham Lincoln, leading a strike group with three guided missile destroyers, carries 90 aircraft, including F-35 fighters, and 5,680 crew members. Deployed to the Gulf region in late January, the carrier had not been visible in satellite imagery until now.
Additionally, the US has dispatched the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest warship, which is expected to arrive in the Middle East within the next three weeks.
Tracking the US military buildup
BBC Verify has documented an increase in US military assets in the Middle East over recent weeks. Publicly available images from European Sentinel-2 satellites show the Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, about 240 kilometers off Oman's coast.
In total, 12 US ships have been tracked in the region: the Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, two destroyers capable of long-range missile strikes, and three specialist combat ships stationed at Bahrain's naval base. Two additional destroyers have been spotted in the eastern Mediterranean near the US base at Souda Bay, and one more in the Red Sea.
US aircraft movements have also surged, with increased deployments of F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets at Muwaffaq Salti military base in Jordan, alongside a rise in cargo planes and refueling aircraft heading toward the Middle East.
Iran responds with military drills
On Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) conducted a maritime exercise in the Strait of Hormuz. The drill included missile launches from naval vessels, as reported by the IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency. IRGC Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen Mohammad Pakpour was seen inspecting the operations.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global shipping route, facilitating about a fifth of the world's oil and gas transit, including from Iran's main oil export terminal at Kharg Island.
Military experts weigh in on US strategy
Justin Crump, a military intelligence expert and CEO of risk and intelligence firm Sibylline, told BBC Verify that the current US military preparations demonstrate "more depth and sustainability" compared to previous operations, such as the seizure of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January or last June's airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
"What we are seeing isn't just strike preparation, but rather a broader deterrent deployment capable of being scaled up or down. This means it has more depth and sustainability than the force packages arranged for either Venezuela or Midnight Hammer last year. It's designed to sustain an engagement and counter all potential responses against US assets in the region and, of course, Israel."
Justin Crump, CEO of Sibylline
Crump noted that the buildup of US warships, aircraft, and eight regional airbases would enable the US to conduct a "fairly intensive and sustained strike rate" of around 800 sorties per day, aiming to neutralize any Iranian countermeasures.
