The fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn sails alongside the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 11, 2024, during a replenishment-at-sea in U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility. Big Horn ran aground in Middle East waters Sept. 23, the Navy said. (U.S. Navy)

MANAMA, Bahrain — A replenishment oiler supporting the only carrier strike group in the Middle East ran aground Monday, as U.S. forces work to deter a wider regional war amid escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

A U.S. Navy official confirmed that USNS Big Horn grounded within the 5th Fleet’s area of responsibility, which includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Gulf of Oman, among other waters. There were no reported injuries.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters yet to be made public, added that no other ships were directly affected and that there were no reports or sightings of fuel spills.

On Tuesday, the maritime forum and news site gCaptain posted photos and video that it says show flooding and damage to the ship’s rudder post. The Navy did not confirm the authenticity of the photos and video.

USNS Big Horn was underway to supply fuel and other resources to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its escorts.

The oiler is the third Military Sealift Command-operated vessel to run aground in just over a year.

In May, the expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams grounded while departing the port of Libreville, Gabon. Officials reported no damage or injuries, but the ship languished in port for several days, waiting for an inspection before it could continue underway.

About two months later, the Navy relieved its gold crew captain, one of the ship’s two crew commanders.

That came after the release of an investigation in May into the grounding of the cargo ship USNS Alan Shephard in Bahrain in July 2023. The report revealed that the ship’s civilian master had left a junior officer in charge while he went to dinner, contributing to the incident.

The grounding Monday marks the latest challenge for the Military Sealift Command, which operates around 125 civilian-crewed ships responsible for replenishing Navy vessels, pre-positioning combat cargo at sea and conducting specialized missions, according to the command’s website.

Some of these ships, such as the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney, are crewed by civilian mariners and active-duty sailors.

The USNS Big Horn is one of 15 replenishment oilers operated by MSC, with a crew of up to 89 civilian mariners and five military personnel.

The Navy is replacing its current class of oilers, which were first commissioned in 1987.

While three new John Lewis-class oilers have been delivered, they have not yet entered service. Three are under construction and three more are under contract, according to the Navy.

However, analysts have raised serious concerns about the sealift command’s ability to crew these ships, citing a critical shortage of civilian manpower.

The sealift command has proposed sidelining 17 ships and reallocating their mariners to other vessels to make up for the crew shortage. The Navy is reviewing the proposal.