George Washington Replaces Lincoln as US Carrier Rotation Tightens Middle East Watch

Live updates show rising Middle East tensions: the US is rotating carrier George Washington into the region to replace USS Lincoln, while Iran asserts control of the Strait of Hormuz. The UK condemns Houthis’ attacks; there are reports the US has lost about a quarter of its MQ-9 Reaper fleet, and officials say the naval blockade on Iranian ports could be maintained indefinitely with ship rotations. Yemen’s Houthis allegedly attacked an Aramco refinery in Jazan; in Lebanon, the IDF uncovered a large weapons cache near Mansouri and Israel struck a terror cell in Khan Yunis as counterterror operations continue. Iran’s foreign minister blames US intelligence failures for miscalculations about Hormuz, and Lincoln’s deployment is under scrutiny after reports of sailors’ distress.