“They [Iran] should not pursue nuclear capabilities, and we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department,” Hegseth said. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as President Donald Trump hosts a cabinet meeting on Thursday. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela,” he said. The Abraham Lincoln is escorted by its strike group, including guided-missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. The planes are known to operate from the Abraham Lincoln, raising speculation that the carrier may be sailing nearby.