WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2019) The USS Lincoln Carrier recently completed a transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the US Navy said in a press release on Tuesday.
"The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group completed a scheduled transit through the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf, November 19," the release said.
The transit is part of the group's mission to ensure the free flow of commerce, maritime stability and security in the Persian Gulf region, the release said.
The United States increased its defense posture in the middle East earlier this year after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps downed a US drone over its airspace, which the Pentagon argued was in international airspace.
US-Iranian tensions have escalated over the last several months mostly due to the standoff between both countries over the 2015 nuclear deal � Washington unilaterally withdrew from the pact last year, which prompted Tehran to begin rolling back its nuclear commitments.
A series of attacks on tankers in Gulf waters and a drone attack against oil facilities in Saudi Arabia have worsened the situation, with Washington and its allies placing the blame on Iran. Tehran has refuted all accusations.
