The Department of War’s rapid response team on Friday pointed to a recent CNN report from aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as it continued pushing back on media coverage of conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.

“Wonder about the USS Abraham Lincoln?” the DOW Rapid Response account wrote on X. “Reporter & CNN anchor Pamela Brown was there last month. Take her word for it…(with a scoop of ice cream).”

The report showed sailors conducting combat operations amid persistent threats from Iran, including fighter jet launches, missile preparations and naval patrols near the Strait of Hormuz.

Brown also documented the strain of the extended deployment, noting that many sailors had spent more than six months at sea with limited port visits and long separations from their families.

One sailor told the outlet he had not yet met his daughter, who was born in February, saying he watched her birth over FaceTime.

The Pentagon’s post comes as defense officials reject what they say are exaggerated portrayals of morale and living conditions aboard the Lincoln, which is expected to return home soon as part of a planned carrier rotation.

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s communications team on Friday shared a video it said carried a message from inside Iran rejecting the Islamic Republic’s portrayal of opposition to the regime as a foreign-driven movement.

“This is a voice from inside Iran,” Pahlavi Communications wrote on X, urging viewers to look beyond what it described as regime “propaganda, proxies” and manipulated narratives.

In the video, a speaker accuses the regime of killing, threatening and attacking Iranians while insisting its opponents remain defiant.

“You gave fear. And we raised our courage. You gave death. And we were born again,” the speaker says in the translated video.

The message concludes by rejecting the notion that Tehran’s principal threat comes from abroad.

“Don’t make a mistake. Your enemy is not outside the borders of this land,” the speaker says. “We are your greatest enemies.”

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell blasted media coverage of the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday, accusing outlets of twisting the hardships of an extended combat deployment into a “false narrative.”

“I deployed for 485 days in Afghanistan with an 80 percent-plus casualty rate. We came under fire nearly every day,” Parnell wrote on X. “Combat deployments bring real hardship. That is simply the truth.”

Parnell said sailors aboard the Lincoln have faced genuine challenges but argued those difficulties, along with the strain on military families, are being exploited for headlines.

“The media treatment of the USS Abraham Lincoln is something different,” he wrote. “Legitimate challenges of a long combat deployment are being twisted into a false narrative, while the genuine difficulties faced by military families are being used for headlines. That is shameful.”

Parnell said the carrier’s sailors remain “resilient, focused on the mission, and proud of their service on this historic deployment,” sharing a statement from Navy Secretary Hung Cao announcing the Lincoln will soon return home as part of a planned rotation.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said early Saturday that one of its vessels was attacked while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Friday evening, marking another security incident involving the UAE energy giant in the critical waterway.

The attack did not result in any casualties and the situation was brought under control, ADNOC said in a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency, WAM.

The company did not identify who was responsible for the latest attack or provide additional details about the vessel or damage.

“ADNOC stresses the importance of protecting the safety of seafarers, ensuring freedom of navigation and maritime security,” the company said.

The incident comes after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Thursday that Iran attacked two vessels affiliated with ADNOC as they transited the Strait of Hormuz.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday accused the media of intentionally misrepresenting conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, defending sailors and Marines following the carrier’s extended combat deployment in the Middle East.

“The reckless & shameless ‘American’ media completely & intentionally misrepresent the USS Abraham Lincoln,” Hegseth wrote on X. “The brave Sailors of that Strike Group are very proud of their tough & historic mission. They embody resilience & excellence.”

Hegseth shared photos from a discussion with U.S. troops serving across CENTCOM’s area of responsibility, including personnel aboard the Lincoln, describing them as “incredible Americans on a historic mission.”

His comments come as officials push back on reports about morale and conditions aboard the carrier after more than 260 days at sea. Navy Secretary Hung Cao said Friday that the Lincoln will soon return home as part of a planned rotation, while President Donald Trump said another carrier will replace it in the region.

U.S. Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) changed leadership Friday as the broader CENTCOM theater remains occupied by the war with Iran and preparations for the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.

Rear Adm. Thomas Donovan assumed command of SOCCENT from Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers during a ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, according to U.S. Central Command.

The transition comes as CENTCOM forces continue enforcing a blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas, with 62 commercial vessels redirected as of Friday.

Jeffers, who led SOCCENT since June 2024, will remain in the region’s security picture as commander of the International Stabilization Force supporting the Gaza peace plan.

“During his 25 months in command, Maj. Gen. Jeffers has led with great dedication and courage as a forward-thinking and innovative leader,” CENTCOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank said.

Donovan, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who began his career as a Navy SEAL in 1996, most recently led the Special Reconnaissance and Enabling Command for U.S. Special Operations Command.

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday that the U.S. is in firm control of the Strait of Hormuz, touting what he described as a “wall of steel” blockade and warning Iran against further attacks.

“We totally control, we own, in the true sense, we own the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump told Fox News’ Alexis McAdams ahead of remarks in Nassau County, New York. “We only allow boats to come in if we want them to come in.”

Trump said the blockade is costing Tehran “hundreds of millions of dollars every single day” and argued sweeping U.S. sanctions are also squeezing the regime.

“If they hit, we would hit back 100 times harder,” Trump warned.

Asked whether the conflict stretching close to the midterm elections concerned him politically, Trump pointed to gasoline prices and his push to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“They cannot have nuclear weapons. It’s very simple,” Trump said.

“We have a blockade that is like a wall of steel,” he added. “Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”