At 7:00 a.m. local time in the north Arabian Sea, the combat information center aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln lit up with something US officers had only seen in worst‑case simulations: three separate threat axes, traced to Iran, Russia and China, converging on a single carrier strike group.

From the north, Iranian coastal batteries and IRGC ships launched a spread of sea‑skimming cruise missiles and explosive drones. To the west, a Russian frigate and attack submarine edged closer, their fire‑control radars flickering on and off in short, taunting bursts. To the east, long‑range reconnaissance drones built in China and flown from a foreign base pressed toward the outer screen, testing jammers and air‑defence reactions.