A satellite image captured by the European Sentinel-2 satellite on August 1, 2026, showed the two US aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George H.W. Bush, positioned about 94 kilometers apart.
According to measurements, one of the aircraft carriers was located around 166 kilometers south of Iran’s coast near the area extending toward the Gulf of Gwadar on the border with Pakistan, while the other was positioned approximately 195 kilometers south of the Iranian coast, opposite the Bris area east of Chabahar.
Two Floating Air Forces
The image shows more than just two aircraft carriers, as it brings together two floating air forces near the eastern entrance of the Strait of Hormuz, at a time when the Gulf of Oman has shifted from a commercial route into a heavily monitored military zone.
An aircraft carrier group usually includes accompanying vessels responsible for air defense, anti-submarine operations, and protecting the formation. Additional naval vessels can be seen near one of the carriers in the image.
Ongoing Maritime Restrictions
The positioning gains significance due to its location east of the Strait of Hormuz, where US maritime restrictions on vessels linked to Iranian ports continue.
The US Central Command announced on Monday that its forces were “continuing to strictly enforce the blockade on Iran,” stating that they had redirected 44 commercial vessels, disabled two ships, and boarded two others as of August 3.
Hormuz and Trump’s Deadline
Attention is now focused on the White House to determine the fate of the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran, after he said he was awaiting the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranian side as a condition to halt moves toward military action.
While Tehran denies the existence of direct negotiations and maintains its rejection of one-on-one talks with Washington, Trump said Iran was holding undisclosed negotiations through intermediaries, warning of a return to military escalation if the deadline ends without results.
Regional sources reported that Trump’s envoys are overseeing indirect talks through the Omani channel to discuss a proposal involving the establishment of an alternative shipping route without imposing transit fees.
Trump described the current stage as the “last chance” for Tehran to end the crisis before a possible resumption of a comprehensive air and maritime blockade.
Earlier, Trump said he had postponed a new wave of strikes and expected negotiations to resume, without specifying the parties involved or the location.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry denied that talks with Washington were taking place, saying Tehran was discussing with Oman the creation of a temporary and secure corridor through the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that reaching an understanding with Muscat would not mean reopening the strait as long as US operations continue.
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