The possibility of an Iran-US war continued to loom over the middle east this week as President Donald Trump mulled ‘limited strikes’ against Tehran. The American military has repositioned multiple air and naval assets close to Iran over the past few months and Trump warned on Thursday that “bad things will happen” if a deal was not struck soon. But as world leaders debate this issue and US officials threaten ‘lethal force’ a plumbing crisis has taken center stage for soldiers.
The nuclear-powered USS Gerald R Ford was diverted to the Middle East earlier this month on orders from Trump — joining USS Abraham Lincoln and hundreds of battleships and fighter jets in the area. According to multiple reports, the US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained, weeks-long operation against Iran. The growing arsenal in the Middle East includes thousands of additional troops, fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers — capable of waging attacks and defending American forces if Trump ordered an attack.
POTUS has repeatedly hailed the possibility of regime change in Iran and recently delivered a 10 day ultimatum for the other country. Hours later Trump told reporters that he was weighing a limited military strike ahead of this deadline. Iranian officials countered on Monday that any attack would be considered an “act of aggression” and trigger a response.
Sewage crisis ahead of ‘war’ with Iran
More than 4500 soldiers aboard the USS Gerald R Ford are now battling an unlikely enemy amid suspense over US strikes — clogged toilets and a massive sewage system failure. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the largest and most expensive aircraft carrier in the world is facing a major bathroom shortage. Most of the 650 toilets on board are reportedly out of commission due to a lack of maintenance.
US laws and Navy policies dictate that deployments should last up to 220 days (around 7.5 months) in one year — with soldiers often qualifying for hardship pay after this threshold. But the US Secretary of War has the ability to waive these limits when it comes to matters of national security. The USS Ford is now set to break all previous records after being at sea for nearly 250 days. It left American shores in June 2025 and also played a crucial role during the Venezuelan strikes in January. Some estimate that it will remain deployed till April or May 2026.
Morale has frayed significantly on board with the WSJ report flagging frequent tussles between sailors and the hull technicians responsible for plumbing and repair operations. The shortage of toilets has also led to 45 minute bathroom queues and 19 hour work days for technicians. The issue had started due to a lack of routine maintenance as the warship remained continuously on the move.