Washington, Aug 16 (SANA)The United States is moving its last aircraft carrier in the western Pacific to the Middle East as prolonged operations against Iran strain naval resources and raise concerns among Washington’s Asian allies over China’s growing regional assertiveness.

The USS George Washington is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment was extended beyond its planned May return. The prolonged mission has reportedly raised supply and crew mental health concerns.

Although another carrier could be deployed to the Pacific within months, analysts say the temporary absence highlights mounting pressure on American sailors and a widening gap between the Trump administration’s stated focus on Asia and its continuing military commitments in the Middle East.

Analysts said Beijing could use the situation to reinforce perceptions that China is becoming the dominant regional power and that Washington may be less able to guarantee its allies’ security. However, they stressed that the carrier’s departure alone was unlikely to prompt a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

China has recently held naval exercises with Indonesia and conducted military activity near areas disputed with Japan and the Philippines, including Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

During a visit to Manila, U.S. Special Operations Command chief Adm. Frank Bradley sought to reassure regional partners, saying Washington could project military power worldwide and redeploy forces once threats in the Middle East had been addressed. He also expressed confidence in the Philippines’ ability to defend its sovereignty and reaffirmed close U.S.-Philippine security ties.

Experts said aircraft carriers provide important psychological reassurance to American allies, while their absence could deepen concerns that Washington is increasingly distracted by Middle East conflicts.

Trump has relied heavily on aircraft carriers during his second term. The USS Gerald R. Ford returned home in May after an 11-month deployment—the longest by a U.S. carrier since the Vietnam War—during which it supported operations against Iran and the capture of Venezuela’s then-leader Nicolás Maduro.