The U.S. Navy on Saturday released photos of “fresh meals” being served aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli aircraft carriers to refute claims of food shortages on warships in the Middle East.
Images purportedly showing sailors being given meager meals during the epic fury against Iran have been rejected by the highest levels of the Pentagon, with War Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissing them as “fake news”.
“Fresh meals. Full service. Mission ready. Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli continue to receive regularly prepared meals at sea – no interruptions, no shortages,” the Navy wrote Saturday morning.
It shared photos showing sailors being served full meals. One image showed food crates stacked to the ceiling on one of the ships.
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The U.S. Navy said on Saturday, April 18, 2026, “Sailors aboard the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli continue to receive prepared meals on a regular basis at sea.”
(Fox News)
“Recent reports of food shortages and poor quality aboard our deployed ships are false,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said on Friday.
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“There is ample food available aboard both the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli to provide healthy options for our sailors. The health and well-being of our Sailors and Marines is my top priority, and each sailor will continue to receive adequate, nutritionally balanced meals.”
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The US Navy is refuting reports that sailors on ships in the Middle East are facing food shortages during Operation Epic Fury.
“The U.S. Navy is right. More fake news from the Pharisaic media,” Hegseth said in response to Caudle’s statement.
“My team confirmed the logistics statistics for the Lincoln and Tripoli. Both ships have over 30 days of Class I supplies (food) on board. NavCent monitors each ship daily,” Hegseth said. “Our Sailors deserve – and receive – the best.”
U.S. Central Command Gen. Brad Cooper also said on Friday that the reports were “blatantly false.”
Food supplies are stacked aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Middle East.
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“Our service members absolutely have access to food throughout the region. It’s an absolute priority,” Cooper told reporters.
Original source of the article: US Navy releases photos of “fresh meals” to refute reports of food shortages on warships in the Middle East
