An Iranian drone strike destroyed a key US logistics hub in Bahrain. Then supply problems began piling up aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

An Iranian drone strike on a US logistics hub in Bahrain may have helped set off supply problems later reported aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to a report from The New York Times.

The strike happened at the start of the Iran war, which began after joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. The attack reportedly destroyed a large part of the Navy’s base in Bahrain, including a logistics facility the Navy had depended on for years.

Losing that port has made it harder to resupply the Lincoln and the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard it. The ship has now been deployed for more than eight months as the war continues.

Navy turned to a distant base after losing its usual supply point

The Lincoln has been stationed in the Arabian Sea, which made Bahrain a convenient location for resupply, reports Mediaite. Without that base, the Navy has had to rely on the smaller Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia, located about 2,200 miles away in the Indian Ocean, an anonymous official reportedly said.

Families of crew members have started speaking out, sharing text messages and describing conditions on board. According to these accounts, sailors are running out of basic supplies, some have jumped overboard, and the ship has lacked hygiene products and fresh food. Family members also claim rotten meat was served at times.

The Navy, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and President Donald Trump have denied these allegations. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta criticized the situation, calling it “inexcusable.” Hegseth pushed back on reports of problems aboard the Lincoln this week, describing them as “completely misrepresented.”

In an Instagram post late Friday, Hegseth wrote, “Hearing from the troops on the frontlines in @CENTCOM – air, land, and sea (including the USS Abraham Lincoln). Incredible Americans on a historic mission.”

The Nimitz-class ship left its home base in San Diego on November 21, and its deployment has been extended at least once. Some spouses have also raised concerns about the crew’s mental health during the deployment, urging Navy leaders to intervene. 

Under Navy tradition, a ship’s commanding officer can grant crew members a “beer day” for every 45 straight days spent at sea. Based on this tradition, the Lincoln’s crew would already be due five beer days, according to The New York Times. Trump commented on the deployment Friday, saying it was “not nearly long enough.”