The United States said on Friday it will soon deploy B-52 bombers, fighter jets and Navy destroyers to the Middle East, as the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group prepares to leave the region.
The Abraham Lincoln strike group will be replaced by the USS Harry Truman and supporting ships but as those ships steam to the region, which may take weeks, the US will have a rare aircraft carrier gap in the region.
The United States has had as many as two aircraft carriers in the Middle East during the past year of soaring tensions since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said in a statement.
The latest adjustment in US forces in the region follows direct exchanges of fire in October between Israel and Iran.
The most recent attack, conducted by Israel, destroyed Iranian air defence positions and degraded Iran’s ballistic missile and drone construction infrastructure.
After that attack US President Joe Biden told reporters “I hope this is the end,” making reference to direct excahnges between Israel and Iran, but there have since been indications that Iran is planning to attack Israel again.
A New York Times report said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had already ordered Iran’s Supreme National Security Council to prepare to strike Israel, and another news report indicated that an attack would soon come from Iraq, where Iran works with a number of well-armed Shiite militias.
The United States has pledged to help defend Israel against any Iranian attack and to safeguard US forces in the Middle East, who have already been attacked by Iran-backed groups in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and off the coast of Yemen.
US long-range nuclear-capable B-52 bombers have been deployed to the region before as a pointed warnings to Iran.
With agencies