Pamela Brown Reports Live From USS Abraham Lincoln: Military ‘Weighing Its Options’ After Tankers Hit in Strait of Hormuz

CNN anchor Pamela Brown reported live from the USS Abraham Lincoln Tuesday, becoming the first American journalist with such access. Brown told viewers the U.S. military is currently “weighing its options” following a strike by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

Brown told her co-anchor Wolf Blitzer that her visit “is coming at a time when there are escalating tensions right near where I am.” The USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed in the Arabian Sea, and operates within the zone sometimes referred to as the “kill box.”

“Just today, Wolf, Iran launched strikes against three vessels that were trying to transit through the Strait, through the Oman route. That was a route established a couple of months ago. So this is escalating already heightened tensions, even though there is this memorandum of understanding in place right now,” Brown said.

She noted that an unnamed U.S. official described Iran’s strikes as “a gross violation of the memorandum of understanding” that was “illogical.”

“Someone else I spoke to said Iran [is] clearly trying to flex its muscles right now. As you know, the negotiations are on pause due to the funeral of the former supreme leader Ali khamenei. But right now, Iran is using this time clearly to be provocative,” Brown continued. “In fact, the view from the U.S. officials I’ve been speaking to is that this is the most provocative Iran has been since that memorandum was put in place in mid-June. Now, we know there have been skirmishes. In fact, after the memorandum was signed, Iran struck a vessel from Singapore, as we know. And in response to striking that vessel in the Strait, CENTCOM did respond with a retaliation against Iranian targets.”

“Now, I’m told with what happened today with these three vessels that did sustain damage, no casualties, that right now, the U.S. Military is weighing its options and deciding how to proceed, what to do,” she added.

The British military reported three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, per The New York Times. The attack prompted The Joint Maritime Information Center to up the shipping risk in the Straight to “severe” from “substantial.” There were no casualties reported.

Watch the above via CNN.

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