Navy ship in Middle East damaged in incident

A U.S. Navy refueling ship has been damaged during an incident in the Middle East, the Navy said Tuesday.

A Navy official told The Hill that the USNS Big Horn, a replenishment oiler, “sustained damage while operating at sea” overnight Monday in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility that covers the Middle East.

“All crew members are currently safe and U.S. 5th Fleet is assessing the situation,” the official said in a statement. “We will provide additional information when available.”

The Big Horn was tasked with refueling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and was damaged during the mission, according to The Associated Press.

The Lincoln is nuclear powered but works with three other ships in the strike group that need fuel, while fighter jets on board the carrier also are supplied by refueling ships like the Big Horn.

Maritime news site gCaptain reported Tuesday that the Big Horn partially flooded and ran aground off the coast of Oman.

Photos and videos circulating online show serious flooding and indicate the ship may be towed to Dubai.

The U.S. Navy has long had a tanker shortage, and the Big Horn was reportedly the only refueling ship in the area.

The Lincoln was sent to the Middle East region in early August to relieve another U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Pentagon has moved military assets to the region as tensions remain high amid Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

In the past week, fighting has also dramatically escalated between Israel and Hezbollah, with both sides exchanging tit-for-tat strikes and rocket fire. Lebanon was struck Monday by Israeli forces in one of the deadliest attacks on the country, with more than 500 killed.

The U.S. Navy has also been fighting the Houthi rebels since January in the Red Sea.