The USS George Washington Is Protecting Shipping While Becoming a Target in the Iran War

The USS George Washington Is Protecting Shipping While Becoming a Target in the Iran War
The USS George Washington is at the center of a widening confrontation: it is helping sustain U.S. military operations and protect commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz while facing the danger of becoming a target itself.

The carrier, carrying roughly 5,000 personnel, fighter aircraft and munitions, was deployed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after that ship’s record nine-month deployment raised concerns about crew conditions and mental health. The George Washington’s role is both operational and symbolic—supporting nighttime missions and providing cover for vessels transiting one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

That mission, however, comes with growing strategic and logistical strain. Sources cited by CBS News said the U.S. military was running low on interceptors and precision weapons, a claim Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has denied. Iran also reportedly attempted to strike U.S. warships with ballistic missiles, underscoring the gap between Washington’s effort to protect shipping and the risks created by maintaining a carrier so close to the conflict.

Capt. Nicholas Deleo, the ship’s commanding officer, presented the danger as a problem the Navy has prepared to manage: “We have a variety of ways to protect, both offensively and defensively, a Navy ship, and we employ all these methods.” He added, “It is something that we train to.” The reassurance reflects the military perspective, but it does not resolve the larger question of endurance as threats multiply.

The carrier’s current mission also carries historical weight. The same vessel patrolled waters near New York City after the September 11 attacks and is now operating near Hormuz in the fight against Iran. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi forces are threatening another energy corridor in the Red Sea, attacking Saudi oil infrastructure and prompting requests for U.S. intelligence and targeting assistance. The result is a mission that aims to contain disruption while risking a broader regional escalation.