U.S. builds up military forces near Iran; carrier Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea

On Jan. 29, 2026, the United States has built up military forces close to Iran, including the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and three warships in the Arabian Sea, a presence President Trump has referred to as an "armada"; Mr. Trump has not authorized military action, officials said.

The carrier appears to be the Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles, Navy officials said on Thursday. The vessels entered the Central Command area of responsibility in the western Indian Ocean on Monday and are now on station in the Arabian Sea, and flight-tracking data corroborates the carrier’s location with a supply aircraft repeatedly flying from the Arabian Sea to Oman this week.

The carrier’s F-35 fighters and F/A-18 attack planes are within striking distance of dozens of targets in Iran, if Mr. Trump were to order them into action. The Pentagon has also sent at least a dozen F-15E attack planes to the region to bolster land-based strike aircraft, U.S. officials said, and satellite images show those jets at an air base in Jordan in the same location as in June 2025 during "Operation Midnight Hammer." Flight-tracking data suggests additional aircraft, including more advanced fighters and refueling planes, are being moved closer to or into the region.

uss abraham lincoln, arabian sea deployment, tomahawk missiles, f-35 fighters, f/a-18 attack planes, f-15e deployment, central command area, operation midnight hammer, patriot and thaad, flight-tracking data, al udeid air base, president trump, long-range bombers