Despite two U.S. aircraft carriers—the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush—and one of the heaviest U.S. air deployments of the conflict, the U.S.-backed Omani corridor still remains virtually empty.
Sentinel-2 imagery dated July 10 shows the USS Abraham Lincoln operating roughly 250 km off Iran's coast near Chabahar, while the USS George H.W. Bush has been located just 162 km away, with both carrier groups reportedly accompanied by destroyers and an oiler, well within heavy Iranian strike range.
MarineTraffic data over the past 24 hours shows just five merchant vessels completed the Strait of Hormuz transit—and all five used Iran's northern traffic separation scheme.
One vessel, Jin Zeng 5, initially appeared to route through the U.S.-backed southern Omani corridor, but altered course before entering the Strait and instead completed its transit via Iran's northern route.
Sentinel-2 imagery dated July 10 shows the USS Abraham Lincoln operating roughly 250 km off Iran's coast near Chabahar, while the USS George H.W. Bush has been located just 162 km away, with both carrier groups reportedly accompanied by destroyers and an oiler, well within heavy Iranian strike range.
MarineTraffic data over the past 24 hours shows just five merchant vessels completed the Strait of Hormuz transit—and all five used Iran's northern traffic separation scheme.
One vessel, Jin Zeng 5, initially appeared to route through the U.S.-backed southern Omani corridor, but altered course before entering the Strait and instead completed its transit via Iran's northern route.