As US–Iran war fears surge, a dramatic shift at sea is raising new questions. The USS Abraham Lincoln has quietly moved 1,400 km south, away from Iran’s coast, just as Tehran warns any strike will spark a “regional war,” shifts to an offensive doctrine, and lines up joint “Maritime Security Belt” drills with Russia and China. With reports of huge Shahed drone stockpiles and Israel’s IDF chief rushing to Washington with fresh intel, did this trilateral naval signaling help force a rethink in Washington?