US aircraft carrier George Washington heads to Middle East

BEIRUT — The Pacific-based USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East, according to the Associated Press, citing a Navy statement and a U.S. official, as the U.S.-Iran war continues to strain American military resources across the region.

The move comes amid reports of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been involved in U.S. operations during the war. Extended carrier deployments have raised concerns over the impact on service members and increasing strain on ships and equipment.

The George Washington left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week and has since been spotted with a cruiser and destroyer crossing the Singapore Strait. A Navy official told AP that the carrier was in the Strait of Malacca, which links the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Its deployment to the Middle East would leave the Pacific without a U.S. aircraft carrier for an unknown period, AP reported, as Washington maintains a heightened military presence amid the wider regional conflict.