Iran's president calls U.S. attacks "cowardly" as Trump threatens annihilation

There were eight suicide attempts by sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group since it began its record-long deployment about 10 months ago, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao that was obtained Wednesday by CBS News. CNN was first to report on the letter. A Navy official confirmed it was sent Tuesday. The deployment of the Lincoln and its approximately 5,000 crew members came under scrutiny after family members of the sailors and members of Congress raised questions last month about the conditions aboard the carrier and concerns about the mental health of its service members. The Lincoln and its strike group were sent to the Middle East after the Iran war broke out. It has since left the region and is returning to its home base of San Diego. A defense official told CBS News two of the suicide attempts occurred during active fighting with Iran. The letter covers the entire length of the Lincoln strike group's deployment, which began in November of last year. The strike group includes the carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all the embarked aviation squadrons. The letter was in response to questions from Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York about reported conditions on the ship.

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