Putin asks if US aircraft carrier sent to bomb Lebanon
6 Min Read
Russian President Vladimir Putin wonders if the United States sent the world's largest aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean with the aim of bombing Lebanon as regional tensions flare up.
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session at the 2023 Russian Energy Week international forum at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow, Russia, October 11, 2023 (Kremlin pool photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Tuesday if the United States sent aircraft carrier Gerald Ford, the biggest aircraft carrier in the world and essentially a floating military base, to bomb Lebanon in light of the escalating regional tensions in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and the subsequent Israeli aggression.
"Is [the US] going to bomb Lebanon or did they decide to scare someone? But there are people there who are no longer afraid of anything," the Russian President said, though he did not specify who said "people" are.
"I don't understand why the United States is dragging one of its aircraft carrier groups there, to the Mediterranean Sea, and is announcing a second one. I don't really see the point," Putin underlined.
Putin, on the other hand, urged for other forms of solutions rather than what the United States is currently working on. "We do not need to solve the problem this way, but look for compromise solutions. That's what we need to do," he underlined.
"Of course, such actions escalate the situation and, of course, if the conflict goes beyond the Palestinian territory, it will of course affect (the rest of the world)," the Russian leader stressed as the Israeli occupation's allies seem to be escalating in the region.
"The Palestinian issue is at the heart of every person in this region. Yes, I believe that in the heart of everyone who professes Islam... Everything that is happening – not only now, but for decades – is perceived as a manifestation of injustice raised to some unthinkable degree," Putin said.
He pointed out that although the decision to create "two sovereign independent states, Israel and Palestine," was initially intended, it was only partially carried out.
"Moreover, part of the lands that the Palestinians have always considered to be genuinely Palestinian, it is taken by Israel – at different times and in different ways, but mostly, of course, with the help of military force," Putin underlined said.
Putin also went on to talk about the allegations Iran is facing, saying: "Now, we hear Iran is being accused of all sorts of things, as usual without evidence. Let's see, hopefully, common sense will prevail."
Biden ordered US aircraft to move to the Eastern Mediterranean
US President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he ordered moving aircraft carrier Gerald Ford to the eastern Mediterranean with the aim of supporting the US naval presence in the Middle East.
"The Department of Defense has moved the USS Jr. Ford carrier strike group from the eastern Mediterranean and bolstered our fighter aircraft presence. We stand ready to move in additional assets as needed," he revealed after his administration pledged to send the naval vessel to help the Israeli occupation.
Biden on Sunday affirmed that the United States supports "Israel" and is committed to providing the necessary aid to ensure its continued aggression against the Palestinian Resistance.
"The United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back, we will make sure that they have the help their citizens need, and they can continue to defend themselves," Biden said during a press conference.
Biden, meanwhile, went on to call Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, launched by Hamas against the Israeli occupation "sheer evil" while completely disregarding all the actions taken by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians.
"There are moments in this life - I mean this literally - when a pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world," he said during a speech from the White House. "This is an act of sheer evil."
Biden still failed to mention that the Israeli occupation was brutally killing civilians, using white phosphorus, and bombing religious sites and schools where people typically seek refuge in times of war.
"Let me say again, to any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of the situation. I have one word, don't. Don't. Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear," he stressed, possibly responding to the statements that came out of Iraq and Yemen, to name a few, regarding offering help to Palestine.
Iran rejects accusation of being part of Operation Al-Aqsa floods
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani underlined Monday the accusations that Iran participated in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, saying that the Palestinian people are capable of defending themselves, adding that they have "sufficient determination and self-ability to reclaim their right, as they have proven."
Moreover, the spokesperson underscored that the politicized and baseless accusations toward Iran or Hezbollah seek to justify the US support for the Israeli occupation government violations, targeting the Palestinians in their occupied land.
On a more regional level, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah, underlined that the deployment of US aircraft carriers to the region, which aims to boost the morale of the Israeli occupation and its frustrated soldiers, reveals the weakness of the Israeli occupation's military apparatus despite the crimes and massacres it commits.
This step also underscores the ongoing need for external support for the "temporary entity" in order to "provide it with the means of survival," according to Hezbollah's statement.
The party emphasized that this American action "will not intimidate the peoples of our nation or the resistance factions prepared for confrontation until victory and complete liberation."
Hezbollah added that the political positions and civil measures taken by the Biden administration, especially the recent statements by President Joe Biden, "were not surprising at all."
According to the statement, Biden's remarks, including "the clear stance and open support for the Zionist killing machine and aggression against the Palestinian people," are the true essence of American policy in its continuous support for aggression and terrorism since the establishment of the Israeli occupation.
Hezbollah stressed that the United States is an all-out accomplice in the Israeli aggression, holding it "fully responsible for the killing, crimes, siege, and the horrifying destruction of homes and the massacres against innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly."
