One tortilla, few boiled carrots: The grim war menu for US sailors near Iran

One small spoon of shredded meat and a tortilla. That's all that was given to a Marine aboard a US warship deployed for the Iran war. Another US Navy personnel, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, was served an equally unappetizing dinner - a few boiled carrots and a slice of processed meat. The images of half-empty dinner plates shared by US service members with their families back home have raised concerns about possible food shortages on American warships involved in the Iran war.

The development comes at a time when thousands of US sailors have been stationed near Iran amid a fragile two-week ceasefire. Both the USS Tripoli and the USS Abraham Lincoln are part of American efforts to enforce a blockade against all ships exiting and entering Iran's ports. The move is intended to break Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, which has upended global oil supplies and sent prices skyrocketing.

FORCED TO RATION FOOD SUPPLIES

What has compounded the problems for the US service members is the indefinite suspension of postal delivery to military zip codes in the Middle East. Thus, it is not even possible for families back in the US to send food packages or any products to their loved ones.

The situation is so dire in USS Tripoli that sailors were being forced to ration their food supplies, Dan F, whose Marine daughter is aboard the ship, told USA Today. In sporadic messages, she also told her father that the coffee machine had broken down, and hygiene products were also on the verge of running out.

"Fresh produce was nowhere to be found," the Marine told her father.

A month ago, Dan said he had sent a package with shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, tampons, and socks to her daughter. Open spaces in the box were filled with candy and snacks. However, it has not reached the destination yet.

A US Army spokesperson told USA Today that deliveries were suspended since the beginning of April "due to airspace closures" and logistical issues due to the conflict.

"We have the strongest military in the world. You shouldn't be running out of food... The one thing we had over our adversaries was that we fed our people," Dan, a former Navy personnel, said.

'HUNGRY ALL THE TIME'

Another sailor told his mother in Texas that the personnel "eat when they can" and divide portions if someone receives more than others. "Supplies are going to get really low," the sailor told his mother.

The family sent supplies worth $2,000 (Rs 1.85 lakh) through packages. But none have reached the sailor.

The issue is not just limited to USS Tripoli, which arrived near Iran on March 27 with around 3,500 Marines. A sailor aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been in the Middle East region since January 26, complained about the poor quality of food.

The sailor told his family members that not only is the food "tasteless", but there is not nearly enough. "We are hungry all the time," the sailor told his family.

Since the conflict broke out on February 28, reports of such operational issues in US warships have sapped crew morale.

Earlier this week, the USS Gerald Ford, America's most advanced aircraft carrier, had to be sent for maintenance after a fire broke out in the ship's laundry area. The blaze destroyed 100 beds and left 200 sailors injured. The aircraft carrier grabbed attention in March after clogged toilets and a sewage system failure threw life out of gear for the 4,500-odd sailors.

The issue, however, was not surprising, as the USS Gerald Ford was at sea for a whopping 295 days without any maintenance. On April 15, it broke the record for the longest deployment of any aircraft carrier since the Cold War.

Before its deployment near Iran, the aircraft carrier took part in US operations in the Caribbean, where the forces were involved in a daring operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

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