CENTCOM Chief Visits USS Abraham Lincoln During Middle East Tour

WASHINGTON:U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea during his 10-day tour of the Middle East.
According to CENTCOM, after completing visits to six countries in the region, Admiral Cooper met with U.S. Marines and sailors aboard the aircraft carrier.
CENTCOM said in a post on X that this was Cooper’s second visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln this year.
He had previously visited the aircraft carrier in February alongside U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
U.S. officials say more than **50,000 American troops** are deployed at various locations across the Middle East. Amid rising tensions in the region, the U.S. military presence and naval operations have gained increasing strategic importance.