Washington DC [US], August 3: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved the deployment of additional cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and Europe, Reuters reported on August 2, citing a Pentagon announcement. The US will also send an additional fighter squadron to the Middle East.
In addition, Secretary Austin ordered adjustments to the military posture to improve protection of US forces , increase support for Israel's defense , and ensure readiness to respond to contingencies.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt, currently in the Middle East, will be replaced by the USS Abraham Lincoln after the Roosevelt concludes its deployment. The Pentagon will also increase readiness to deploy additional shore-based ballistic missile defense systems.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the deployment was aimed at countering the threat posed by Iran and its proxies. The move follows a commitment made during a phone call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 1. Secretary Austin later spoke by phone with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.
Israel is preparing to respond to a major attack as announced by Iran, after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the capital Tehran while attending the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Hamas and Iran accuse Israel of being behind it, but Tel Aviv has so far neither denied nor admitted it.
In April, the US military also deployed massive forces in response to Iran's attack on Israeli territory, in response to Tel Aviv's previous airstrike on Tehran's embassy compound in Syria that killed two generals. The US, Israel and some allies then stopped most of Iran's missile and drone response.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper