CENTCOM chief visits USS Abraham Lincoln amid morale concerns
Updated on: August 17, 2026 / 6:26 AM EDT / CBS News Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Monday, Aug. See earlier developments below. President Trump said Sunday that South Korea declined to join the U.S. effort to denuclearize Iran and announced that he has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with the East Asian nation. "Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea , I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump added that he "recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran," and the country declined.
Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open CBS News โ
SN
Scoop News DeskMiddle East ยท Published Updated
Media link supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app.
Scoop News reporting summary
The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.
In a statement shared on social media , Cooper said his time aboard the Lincoln was "awe-inspiring." "I wish every American could see the crew in action," he said. "You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience." The Lincoln, which has about 5,000 service members, arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran. The number of US military personnel killed since the start of the war stands at 17, with the most recent deaths in July.
Dated changes to this report are shown here as they are published.
Version 2unpublished
Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
Version 3published
Adm: Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln after he visited the cruiser on Saturday. In a statement shared on social media , Cooper said his time aboard the Lincoln was "awe-inspiring." "I wish every American could see the crew in action," he said. "You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience." The Lincoln, which has about 5,000 service members, arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran. It deployed in November 2025 to the Pacific before it moved to the Middle East. It has spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.
Version 4unpublished
Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
Version 5published
Updated on: August 17, 2026 / 6:26 AM EDT / CBS News Follow updates on the war in the Middle East for Monday, Aug. See earlier developments below. President Trump said Sunday that South Korea declined to join the U.S. effort to denuclearize Iran and announced that he has ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with the East Asian nation. "Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea , I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea," Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump added that he "recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran," and the country declined.
