Pentagon to send more military assets to Middle East
The Pentagon says the US military will deploy additional fighters and Navy warships to the region amid growing anticipation about possible Iranian retaliation against Israel for the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran.
US sending aircraft carrier, warships and fighter squadron to Middle East as region braces for Iranian retaliation
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/02/politics/us-warships-middle-east-brace-iranian-retaliation/index.html
The US is sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron and additional warships to the Middle East as the region braces for an Iranian retaliation to the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran earlier this week.
It is perhaps the largest movement of US forces to the region since the early days of the Gaza war, when the Pentagon sent two carrier strike groups toward the Middle East in a very public warning to regional militant groups not to expand the fighting.
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US officials said the anticipated Iranian attack could occur in the coming days, and the US is closely watching the region for any indications of how it might play out. Officials said the attack may be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones Iran launched against Israel in April, but it could also be larger and more complex, coordinated with Iranian proxies in the region.
Diplomatically, US seeks de-escalation. Militarily, ‘we are seeing the opposite’
Diplomatically, they are trying to de-escalate. Militarily, though, we are seeing the opposite with these movements of more military assets into the region.
It is a tricky line for the Pentagon to walk. They acknowledge that this may be seen as the opposite effect – having more troops and assets in the region.
But this was something US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke of on their call earlier in the day, with Austin saying that all countries in the region would benefit from de-escalation, which is in keeping with the Biden administration’s stance.
Biden told Netanyahu just yesterday on the phone that Israel should move towards a ceasefire deal and that he was very concerned by the escalation of tensions in the region.
