NEW YORK, August 13. /TASS/. The United States is preparing to send the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a planned rotation, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

According to the newspaper, the USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the region since January, where it was deployed before the US military operation against Iran. The aircraft carrier played a key role in the American Operation Epic Fury, and later participated in the blockade of Iranian ports.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for more than 250 days and has not entered ports for 200 days, which has become a record for the longest continuous stay at sea. Senator Richard Blumenthal asked Pentagon for information about the conditions of service of the crew and reports of mental health problems of the sailors on board.