The United States sent additional warships to the Middle East that are capable of defending against missiles amid an increase in tensions between Iran and Israel.
“We’ve adjusted our military posture to strengthen our force protection,” US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin said at a press conference in Maryland.
This will “reinforce our ironclad commitment to the offense of Israel” and allow the US to “remain prepared to respond to any contingency.”
“To maintain our carrier strike group presence in the Middle East, I’ve ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt later this month,” he said.
“I’ve also ordered more cruisers and destroyers capable of ballistic missile defense to the region,” Austin stressed.
Another fighter squadron has also been deployed to the Middle East “to reinforce our defensive air support capabilities here,” he added.
“These posture adjustments add to our already broad range of capabilities in the region” that can be deployed on “short notice to meet evolving threats to our security, our partners, or our interests.”
The US remains focused on de-escalating tensions in the Middle East
Austin stressed that the United States “remains intensely focused on de-escalating tensions in the region,” he said.Israel has been involved in a multi-front war against Iranian proxy groups Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.
The twin assassinations last week of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran have threatened to escalate the situation.
Iran and Hezbollah have both threatened escalatory action against Israel.
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