Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, rejected reports about poor conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East and said: “We ensure that every ship, every crew member, and every commander have available to them all the resources that we can provide.”

He added: “Some missions are longer than others, and I have a great deal of respect and appreciation for these sailors. What they do in open waters, in such difficult conditions and with fewer stops in ports, is incredible.”

Earlier, The Guardian reported that several sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, during the ship’s long mission connected to the war in the Middle East, had intended to jump into the sea. According to this report, about five thousand sailors and Marines on the carrier have been at sea for the ninth month, and the Abraham Lincoln has not docked at any port for 250 consecutive days; a period The Guardian described as a record for an aircraft carrier in the modern era.