WASHINGTON – The US will move a squadron of fighter jets to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region, the Pentagon said on Friday, bolstering the American military presence to help defend Israel from potential attacks by Iran and its proxies and safeguard troops. from the USA.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also ordered additional cruisers and destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities for the European and Middle Eastern regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defense weapons there. the Pentagon said in a statement Friday night.
The changes fulfill a promise President Joe Biden made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a call Thursday afternoon, Biden discussed new U.S. military deployments to protect against potential ballistic missile and drone attacks, according to the White House. In April, US forces intercepted dozens of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel and helped shoot down almost all of them.
US leaders are concerned about the escalation of violence in the Middle East in response to Israel’s recent attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, who triggered threats of retaliation. Iran also threatened to respond later Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was murdered in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after Hezbollah senior commander Fouad Shukur was killed in Beirut.
Israel promised to kill Hamas leaders because of the group October 7 attackthat triggered the war in Gaza.
Austin is ordering the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to go to the Middle East to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which is in the Gulf of Oman but scheduled to return home later this summer . This decision suggests that the Pentagon has decided to maintain an aircraft carrier consistently in the region as a deterrent against Iran, at least until next year.
The Pentagon did not say where the fighter squadron came from or where it would be based in the Middle East. Various allies in the region are often willing to base US military forces but do not want this to be made public.
The Pentagon has options to provide additional defense against land-based ballistic missiles, such as Patriot or high-altitude terminal area defense known as THAAD, both of which launch interceptor missiles from specialized trailer-based mobile launch systems. The Pentagon did not identify which system it would deploy to increase defenses in the region.
The White House, in a statement, said Biden “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.”
On Friday, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that measures were in the works. She said Austin will “direct multiple” force moves to provide additional support to Israel and increase protection for U.S. troops in the region.
Military and defense authorities have considered a wide range of options, from additional ships and squadrons of fighter planes to additional air defense systems or unmanned weapons. In many cases, the US does not provide details because host nations are very sensitive to the presence of additional US forces and do not want these movements made public.
It is unclear which new ships would be transferred to the Middle East.
The U.S. has had a consistent warship presence there and in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, including two Navy destroyers, the USS Roosevelt and USS Bulkeley, as well as the USS Wasp and USS New York. Wasp and New York are part of the amphibious ready group and carry a Marine expeditionary unit that could be used if any evacuation of US personnel is necessary.
Additionally, a US official said that two US Navy destroyers currently in the Middle East will head north up the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean Sea. At least one of them could remain in the Mediterranean if necessary. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements.
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