Misbar Pinpoints the Location of a U.S. Destroyer off the Iranian Coast

Amid escalating regional tensions, the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln continues operational activity in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman as part of a declared military deployment that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says is intended to support maritime security and regional stability.

The carrier is accompanied by a strike group that includes several destroyers—among them the USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), USS Spruance (DDG-111), and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121)—as well as a full air wing comprising more than 60 aircraft.

In this context, Misbar’s team at Al Araby TV identified the geographic location of one of these destroyers while it was operating in the Gulf of Oman by tracking publicly available maritime navigation data on the MarineTraffic website.

Tracking the U.S. Destroyer’s Movements in the Gulf of Oman

MarineTraffic data showed a vessel bearing the identifier US_GOV_VESSEL_112 and MMSI number 303966000—corresponding to the U.S. destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)—in the Gulf of Oman on the morning of Feb. 8.

According to the data, the destroyer was detected at 6:30 a.m. local time before heading toward the Port of Fujairah, where it docked at around 8:30 a.m. and remained for roughly 10 hours, likely for refueling. It later departed, and its signal disappeared shortly afterward as it returned to sea.

Based on the recorded geographic coordinates, the location was approximately 109 kilometers off the Iranian coast.

Official Visit and Centcom Statement

The tracking coincided with an official statement issued by CENTCOM on Feb. 7 announcing a visit by Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) while it was transiting the Arabian Sea, as part of what was described as a scheduled deployment.

The statement said Cooper was accompanied by Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff, who, according to the statement, praised the “readiness and dedication of the sailors and Marines.”

CENTCOM added that the Abraham Lincoln strike group, based in San Diego, departed in November for deployment in the Indo-Pacific region before arriving in the Middle East in January.

According to the statement, the strike group consists of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, Carrier Strike Group 3, Destroyer Squadron 21, Carrier Air Wing 9, the guided-missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), USS Spruance (DDG-111), and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), along with more than 60 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.

CENTCOM said the strike group is operating within its area of responsibility as part of missions Washington says are aimed at supporting maritime security and stability in the region.

The activity comes as the region witnesses an intensification of the U.S. naval presence alongside rising regional tensions linked to the Iranian file.

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