US boosts military presence in Middle East with carriers
Despite the efforts of diplomats and the demands of world leaders, an all-out war in the Middle East appears to be imminent as a result of rising tensions between Israel and its neighbours following the country’s brutal offensive into the Gaza Strip.
According to a Pentagon announcement on August 2nd, the U.S. military has decided to deploy a carrier strike group to the region, confirming fears of escalation, reports Reuters and agencies.
The U.S. is anticipating a major response from Tehran following the killing of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh on July 31st, for which Israel has not claimed responsibility or denied. The death comes as part of a series of assassinations of senior figures in Hamas and aligned Palestinian militant groups fighting Israeli forces.
The move comes as Washington seeks to bolster the defences of allies with warships and an additional squadron of fighter jets following threats from Iran and allied militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas. U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin approved sending more Navy cruisers and destroyers which can shoot down ballistic missiles.
The Pentagon justified its decision in order “to increase support for the defence of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies,” in its latest statement.
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Austin decided to rotate the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier strike group for the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East, which was speculated not to be replaced after its deployment. The U.S. had already intensified deployments before April 13th, when Iran launched numerous drone and missile strikes on Israel.
The Department for Defence added that it would increase readiness to deploy more land-based ballistic missile defences to intercept drones and rockets fired by militant groups, a difficult problem for the U.S. military given the arsenal and immediate proximity to Israel of groups like Hezbollah.
According to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was informed of the new U.S. defensive military deployments during a phone call with Biden on August 1st.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated that the U.S. believes a full-scale war is avoidable.
“I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal,” said Singh.
Reuters and agencies
