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The turning point occurred at 1:52 PM. Deep within the windowless rooms of U.S. Naval Intelligence, analysts intercepted a burst of encrypted communications originating from an IRGC command center near Bandar Abbas. The decryption revealed a chilling directive: “Package delivery authorized for afternoon transit.” In the cryptic language of military engagement, “package delivery” is almost never about logistics; it is a euphemism for a kinetic strike. This was the red flare the Americans had been trained to spot. The realization rippled through the chain of command with lightning speed. This was no longer a game of shadows; it was a countdown to an act of war.
At 2:18 PM, the situation moved from the digital realm to the physical. Coastal missile batteries along the Iranian shoreline surged to life, their electronic signatures screaming hostile intent as they prepared to fire anti-ship cruise missiles. Captain Chen didn’t hesitate. He ordered the ship to General Quarters. Throughout the four-and-a-half-acre flight deck and down into the labyrinthine engine rooms, the deafening blare of the battle stations alarm echoed. Sailors who had been eating lunch or resting in their bunks were suddenly sprinting through narrow passageways, donning flash gear and securing watertight hatches. The Roosevelt was no longer a transit vessel; it was a combatant.
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