Pentagon announces deployment as tensions rise between Iran and Israel following Haniyeh’s assassination.
The United States military announced the deployment of additional resources to the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier, amid growing concerns about the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
On Friday, the Pentagon revealed it would send an additional squadron of fighter jets, Navy cruisers and destroyer ships to the Middle East.
“We have demonstrated since October and again in April [that] America’s global defense is dynamic and the department maintains short-term mobilization capabilities to address growing national security threats,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters on Friday.
“As a result, the Secretary will direct multiple future force posture movements to reinforce the protection of U.S. forces throughout the region, to provide heightened support for Israel’s defense, and to ensure that the United States is prepared to respond to these developments. crisis.”
The announcement comes after the recent and important assassinations of those responsible for Hamas and Hezbollah, two groups linked to Iran.
Israeli forces are believed to be behind the killings and media reports indicate that Iran appears likely to retaliate, especially after one of the killings occurred on its territory.
This, in turn, has raised fears of an ever-widening conflict that could unleash destruction across the region.
Singh told reporters on Friday that the decision to increase US military capabilities in the Middle East came after high-level calls with Israeli officials.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, that morning, she explained.
An earlier call took place between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.
Austin “committed to Minister Gallant — and the president committed to Netanyahu — that we will strengthen the protection of our force in the region,” Singh said Friday.
“We will stand with Israel in its self-defense, and that is something the secretary reiterated to Minister Gallant in his call this morning.”
The increased military presence is the latest US effort to discourage attacks on Israel and avoid a regional war.
But this happens at a tense moment. Israel’s controversial war in Gaza will soon enter its 11th month, amid ongoing fears of genocide and famine in the Palestinian territory.
The Biden administration has already signaled full support for Israel in the event of a wider war. While critical of civilian suffering in Gaza, U.S. officials have so far refused to openly pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Biden, however, addressed the fallout from the killings on Friday, describing them as a setback in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
“This is not helpful,” he said in a brief statement to reporters.
The Pentagon’s announcement comes less than three days after the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. He was one of the main negotiators in the effort to secure a ceasefire and his death is seen as a serious setback to the negotiations.
Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the country’s new president. Reports indicate that an explosive device was planted in the residence where he was staying.
The day before Haniyeh’s death, on July 30, Fuad Shukr — commander of the powerful Lebanon-based group Hezbollah — was also killed in an Israeli attack in Beirut.
The Israeli Air Force claimed responsibility for the attack. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group, has been exchanging fire with Israel across the Lebanese border since the start of the war in Gaza in October.
However, the Biden administration has expressed hope that tensions can still be reduced.
“I don’t believe war is inevitable. I stand by that. I think there is always room and opportunity for diplomacy,” Austin said earlier this week.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
