U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday. The moves come as the U.S. and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
Quick Read
- The U.S. is increasing its military presence in the Middle East by deploying a guided missile submarine and accelerating the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group amid rising tensions in the region.
- The move comes as the U.S. and its allies push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas after the recent assassinations of key leaders from Hamas and Hezbollah.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the U.S. commitment to defending Israel and enhancing military capabilities in the Middle East during a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
- The USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying F-35 and F/A-18 fighter jets, was already en route to the region and will now arrive sooner than planned.
- The exact timeline for the arrival of the USS Georgia guided missile submarine and the Lincoln strike group has not been disclosed.
- The U.S. is also focused on mitigating civilian harm in Gaza as Israeli military operations continue in the area.
The Associated Press has the story:
US beefs up security and orders a missile submarine to the Middle East
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area, the Defense Department said Sunday. The moves come as the U.S. and other allies push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement that could help calm soaring tensions in the region following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the U.S. has been beefing up its presence in the region. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day, and reiterated America’s commitment “to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.”
The Lincoln, which has been in the Asia Pacific, had already been ordered to the region to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group, which is scheduled to begin heading home from the Middle East. Last week, Austin said the Lincoln would arrive in the Central Command area by the end of the month. It wasn’t clear Sunday what his latest order means, or how much more quickly the Lincoln will steam to the Middle East. The carrier has F-35 fighter jets aboard, along with the F/A-18 fighter aircraft that are also on carriers.
Ryder also did not say how quickly the USS Georgia guided missile submarine would get to the region. He said Austin and Gallant also discussed Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the importance of mitigating civilian harm. The call comes a day after an Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza early Saturday, killing at least 80 people and wounding nearly 50 others, Palestinian health authorities said, in one of the deadliest attacks of the 10-month Israel-Hamas war.
