Aircraft carrier moves to Gulf of Oman

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 8 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials said Tuesday the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has moved into the Gulf of Oman to give its warplanes access to Afghanistan.

The carrier moved there from the Persian Gulf so its fighter jets could avoid overflying Iranian airspace to conduct possible strikes against Taliban militants, CNN reported.

"This puts it in a position where it has ability to strike far inland," a U.S. defense official told the broadcaster.