US to send more warships, jets to Middle East to protect 'Israel'
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Pentagon says Austin issued orders to bolster military deployment in the Middle East in anticipation of Iran's response to "Israel".
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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) transits the Pacific Ocean, Jan. 20, 2024 (US Navy)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional naval warships, fighter jets, and anti-ballistic missile defense systems in the Middle East in anticipation of the Iranian and Resistance Axis response to the recent Israeli assassinations and aggressions.
In the past two weeks, the Israeli regime has assassinated two high-ranking Resistance leaders and carried out an air aggression on Yemen.
Hamas' Politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday while on an official visit. Less than 12 hours later, "Israel" assassinated a Hezbollah top military leader, Sayyed Mohsen Shokor, in an airstrike on Beirut, which also resulted in the martyrdom of Iranian military advisor Milad Bidi and five civilians - three women and two children. The Israeli regime also conducted an airstrike on Yemen's Ras Kathib power station located in the Hodeidah port, leading to the martyrdom of six civil servants.
Read more: Resistance seeks revenge amid 'Israel's' regional war crimes: IRGC
"To maintain a carrier strike group presence in the Middle East, the Secretary has ordered the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group, currently on deployment in the Central Command area of responsibility," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the US European Command and US Central Command regions, and increased readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense, the statement added.
"These posture adjustments add to the broad range of capabilities the U.S. military maintains in the region, including the USS WASP Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) operating in the Eastern Mediterranean," with over 4,500 Sailors and Marines onboard across the force.
Read more: Aggression on Tehran, Beirut, to spiral escalation with 'Israel': FT
The US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has informed "Israel" about current and future changes to US forces in the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Friday.
"(Austin) informed the minister of additional measures to include ongoing and future defensive force posture changes that the department will take to support the defense of Israel," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters earlier after a call between Austin and Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant.
'Very hard to replicate'
Citing several US officials, Axios reported on Thursday that Iran's attack is expected to be larger but similar in nature to that back in April, which came in response to the Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic's consulate in Syria and could also involve Hezbollah.
The US, UK, and France along with several regional countries joined efforts, both military and intelligence, to repel Iran's April operation consisting of some 300 drones and missiles launched at "Israel". According to estimations then, the few-hours interception operations cost over $1 billion.
Read more: US officials doubt 'Israel', allies, ready to face Iranian retaliation
Following the Iranian, a senior US official told Axios then that it will be "very hard to replicate the huge success" of intercepting the Iranian drones and missiles "and the Israelis know it."
According to Axios, President Joe Biden's administration today fears that it may be more difficult to form the same coalition to protect "Israel," since the Iranian retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh is part of the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, which resulted in the growing of opposition to "Israel" in the region.
