Families say US sailors going hungry as mail deliveries halted amid Iran war blockade

Families of US service members deployed on warships amid President Donald Trump's halted war against Iran are increasingly concerned that troops are going hungry amid a halt in postal deliveries, according to a report published Thursday. USA Today reported on pictures sent to family members from deployed service members on the USS Tripoli and the USS Abraham Lincoln depicting sparse food trays and questionably edible mystery meat.

Father's concerns

Dan F., a father whose daughter is deployed on the Tripoli, received a photo of a food tray that was two-thirds empty with a single tortilla and small pile of shredded meat. He and other family members have sought to alleviate the situation by sending packages, but postal delivery to military zip codes in the Middle East has been suspended indefinitely as of April, with undelivered packages now in limbo. "We have the strongest military in the world. You shouldn't be running out of food, and you shouldn't not be able to get mail on the ship," Dan said.

Delivery suspension

The Army told USA Today there is no end date for the delivery suspension. "Resumption of mail service is contingent upon the reopening of airspace by civil authorities, and the area commander's evaluation of regional transportation and distribution stability," Maj. Travis Shaw, an Army spokesperson, said.

Supply shortages

Dan's daughter told him there was a complete lack of fresh produce on the ship, with service members forced to ration food. Hygiene products were also dangerously low, prompting families to send deodorant, tampons, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner. Another mother of a sailor aboard the Tripoli said she panicked when she heard he is going hungry, but care packages have not reached recipients.

Morale impact

"Supplies are going to get really low," and the crew does not anticipate a port visit until the ship completes its mission, the mother's son wrote. "Morale is going to be at an all-time low." The Tripoli has been at sea for over a month after departing its home port in Japan to join Trump's war on Iran, and was part of the president's blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.