File photo, Anat Givon/AP Photo
U.S. Central Command lashed out at what it called “rampant misreporting” on allegedly deplorable conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln, citing in part an apparently debunked report from Iranian media.
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been parked in the Arabian Sea to support the war in Iran, with more than 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard on a mission that has kept them at sea for 250 days and counting.
Desperate sailors have reportedly jumped overboard or been revealing concerning conditions to their families, including being served allegedly rotten food; a lack of hygiene products; clogged toilets and mold or mildew in the showers.
CENTCOM took to X late Thursday to rip reporting on the issue and included images of six different headlines, including some from Iranian media, claiming seven people had died in a fight on the ship:
CLAIM: Over the past 48 hours, multiple media outlets have reported several false claims related to USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN 72) deployment to the Middle East. One report alleged seven Sailors died in a brawl aboard the aircraft carrier and others have recently suggested a spike in suicidal ideations. These reports are FALSE.
FACT: USS Abraham Lincoln has maintained among the highest crew reenlistment rates (84.4%) of all aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. The Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea, 10,000 aircraft flights, and 1.5 million pounds of ordnance expended. No service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died, and the one Sailor who fell overboard Aug. 3 was quickly and safely recovered. The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 13, 2026
There is no credible evidence for the claim of a deadly brawl, according to Snopes. The Navy has denied any increase in “suicidal ideation” among sailors on the Lincoln.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared Thursday that conditions on the Lincoln have been “completely misrepresented.”
The controversy on the ship, which set sail from its home base in San Diego on Nov. 21 and had its deployment extended at least once, comes as Trump has also ordered the Navy to make massive technical changes to new aircraft carriers, which experts said could cost billions.
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