WHEN A ROUTINE DEPLOYMENT ISN’T ANYMORE: The chief of naval operations confirmed yesterday that the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its escort ships were already en route to the Arabian Gulf when they were ordered to the Arabian Gulf in response to undisclosed threats from Iran and its proxies.

“The Abraham Lincoln Strike Group was planned to deploy for some time now,” Adm. John Richardson told the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space conference outside Washington, later sending a tweet hinting the carrier deployment schedule had been adjusted in response to the Iranian threat. “This is the beauty of having a dynamic force. The @USNavy can easily maneuver to protect national interests around the globe.”