Shocking Meals: What Are US Soldiers Really Eating in the Iran War?

Kim Ye-rin | 2026.04.19

Translation result
USA투데이가 공개한 미군 병사들에게 제공된 식사[엑스 화면 캡쳐][엑스 화면 캡쳐]
Photos and images have emerged suggesting U.S. service members deployed for a possible Iran conflict are being given severely inadequate meals.On the 17th (local time), the British daily The Telegraph published photos taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, calling the scenes “horrific.” USA Today reported the images were sent by a sailor on the Lincoln to family members. One tray in the photos contains a single pre-cooked gray slice of processed meat, boiled carrots and a dry patty; some trays’ three compartments appear nearly empty.Meals aboard the amphibious assault ship Tripoli, which recently moved from Japan to the Middle East, are reported to be similarly sparse. A Marine on the Tripoli sent his family a photo showing only a small handful of shredded meat and a single tortilla on his tray. He told them the ship’s coffee machine was broken and that fresh vegetables and fruit had run out some time ago.The Telegraph noted the stark contrast with the steak-and-lobster meals served to U.S. forces before the Iran crisis escalated. Earlier reporting by a U.S. government watchdog found the Pentagon had spent about $93 billion as of September last year, exhausting funds before the fiscal year ended; of that, roughly $15.1 million went to steak purchases and $6.9 million to lobster tails.Families worried about shortages have mailed care packages, but delivery issues have kept many from reaching troops. Postal service for U.S. personnel in the region was suspended after operations began, leaving thousands of food parcels stacked in warehouses.A service member aboard the Tripoli warned in March that supplies would soon run out and that, with no scheduled port calls before the mission ends, troop morale would suffer severely.Iran seized on the reports to ridicule the U.S. The Iranian embassy in Tunisia posted on X: “Unbelievable — I can’t believe it,” adding, “This is exactly the food Trump is feeding his troops to open the Strait of Hormuz.”#USMilitary #IranWar #MiddleEast #USSAbrahamLincoln #Tripoli #TrumpYonhap News TV — story tips and inquiries: KakaoTalk/LINE jebo23; Yerin Kim (yey@yna.co.kr)
Kim Ye-rin

Kim Ye-rin

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