Middle East and North Africa

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report.

Here’s what’s on tap for the day: The USS Abraham Lincoln finally ends a 286-day deployment, Ukrainian intelligence agencies fight in the streets of Kyiv, and U.S. companies warn of AI’s threat to global cybersecurity.

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Situation Report.

Here’s what’s on tap for the day: The USS Abraham Lincoln finally ends a 286-day deployment, Ukrainian intelligence agencies fight in the streets of Kyiv, and U.S. companies warn of AI’s threat to global cybersecurity.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has seen better days. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docked in Thailand on Wednesday after 286 grueling days at sea—the bulk of which were spent in the Middle East supporting the U.S. war against Iran—and it’s covered in rust.

The Lincoln is now receiving repairs as its crew members enjoy some much-deserved R&R. The condition of the Lincoln, while not unexpected after a prolonged deployment, is an unsettling metaphor for both the state of the Iran war and the U.S. military more broadly at the moment.

The Iran war has left the U.S. military overextended, pulling vital resources and personnel away from other regions and priorities. And much like the war itself, the carrier’s deployment lasted far longer than the Trump administration expected or planned.

The 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard reportedly faced a range of challenges, from food shortages to sewage issues. The indefinite timeline surrounding their deployment also apparently (and quite understandably) had a detrimental effect on the mental health of some personnel aboard, leading family members to raise grave concerns. Multiple crew members reportedly attempted to jump overboard.

Their hardships can’t be divorced from the fact that they’re serving under an administration that has struggled to define its goals in the Iran war from the start. As retired Gen. Joseph Votel, the former Central Command chief, told John in July, “The military has done exactly what has been asked of them, and they’ve done that to the best of their ability,” but it’s been challenging “to appreciate what the long-term strategic........

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