The United States is mobilizing a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron, and additional warships to the Middle East, anticipating a possible Iranian response to the recent assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran.
According to CNN, this deployment is possibly the most significant movement of US forces to the region since the early days of the Gaza conflict, when the Pentagon dispatched two carrier strike groups to the Middle East to deter regional militant groups from escalating the fighting.
“We’ve heard the Supreme Leader loud and clear that he intends to avenge this killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, and that they want to conduct another attack on Israel,” John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, told CNN. “We can’t just assume that we are also potentially going to be victims of that kind of an attack, so we’ve got to make sure we’ve got the right resources and capabilities in the region.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on Friday, ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, currently positioned in the Gulf of Oman, as announced by Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh.
Additionally, destroyers and cruisers with ballistic missile defense capabilities will be deployed to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea.
While the specific warships were not disclosed, two US destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea recently participated in intercepting Iran’s missile strikes against Israel in April.
Austin also directed the deployment of a fighter squadron to the region, according to Singh.
The region already hosts the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship, operating with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is prepared to evacuate US citizens from Lebanon if needed.
“The United States’ global defense is dynamic and the Department of Defense retains the capability to deploy on short notice to meet evolving national security threats,” Singh stated.
In retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran has pledged to strike Israel. Israel has yet to comment on the incident.
US officials have warned that an Iranian attack might happen within days, with the US closely monitoring the region for any signs of such activity.
The anticipated attack could mirror the ballistic missile and drone strikes launched by Iran against Israel in April, but might be more extensive and intricate, potentially involving coordinated actions with Iranian proxies in the region.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah suggested a potential coordinated attack on Israel following the assassination of one of the group’s senior commanders in Beirut, occurring less than 24 hours before Haniyeh’s death.
“Because they have picked a fight with everyone, they don’t know where the response will come from … the response will come separately or coordinated,” he mentioned in a speech on Thursday.
