Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln after visiting the aircraft carrier on Saturday.
In a statement shared on X, Cooper described his time aboard the Lincoln as "awe-inspiring".
"I wish every American could see the crew in action," he said. "You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience."
The Lincoln, which has about 5,000 service members, arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran.
The carrier deployed to the Pacific in November 2025 before moving to the Middle East and has spent a record-setting uninterrupted period at sea of more than 240 days. U.S. military vessels are normally deployed for about six months.
Reports have emerged in recent weeks of mental health concerns among the crew and supply issues aboard the carrier.
Cooper acknowledged those concerns but said the Lincoln has among the lowest numbers of mental health-related cases of the U.S. Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers.
"This doesn't mean that all is perfect," he said. "Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods of time isn't for everyone. It is uniquely challenging and tough, and every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways."
Cooper also praised Lincoln's leadership for "stepping up and making mental health and crew resilience a leadership priority."
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is heading to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln.
Separately, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is “very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement”.
He said the deal “shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way. Congratulations to the Great Leadership of the three Nations mentioned. THIS IS A BIG, BOLD, AND IMPORTANT FIRST STEP — WOW!”
Meanwhile, Iran reportedly launched a strike against an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to the United Arab Emirates. The vessel belonged to state-owned oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. No injuries were reported in the attack, which struck the vessel's hull.
Additionally, two Israeli airstrikes killed 11 people in southern Lebanon on Saturday, in some of the deadliest attacks since a fragile truce was reached between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel said it struck legitimate Hezbollah targets, but that the militants employed human shields.
