The Pentagon announced on Sunday that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered an additional nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine to be deployed to the Middle East, and has instructed the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Lincoln to sail to the region at a faster pace.
Following the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad senior commander Fuad Shukr, the US and its allies are actively working towards brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in hopes of calming the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In recent days, officials from the US, UK, France, Jordan, and other countries have been on high alert for possible retaliatory attacks by Iran and Islamic Jihad, urging their citizens to evacuate from Lebanon. The US military has been steadily increasing its deployment of fighter jets and warships to the Middle East.
The Pentagon stated in a press release that Austin had spoken earlier with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and subsequently ordered the deployment of the USS Georgia nuclear-powered submarine to the Middle East to deter potential attacks on Israel by Iran, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.
Simultaneously, Austin also directed the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to accelerate its movement towards the Central Command’s area of responsibility.
The Pentagon emphasized, “Secretary Austin reaffirmed that the US will take all necessary actions to defend Israel, and noted that due to the escalating tensions in the region, the US has enhanced its military deployments and combat capabilities throughout the Middle East.”
The statement also mentioned that the USS Lincoln, which has been operating in the Asia-Pacific region and is equipped with F-35C fighter jets, will be heading to the Middle East to replace the USS Roosevelt carrier strike group that has begun its return journey from the Middle East.
Last week, Austin initially stated that the USS Lincoln would arrive in the US Central Command’s area of responsibility by the end of the month. It remains unclear when the USS Lincoln will reach the Middle East.
The Pentagon did not disclose the specific mission of the USS Georgia upon its deployment to the region. The public deployment of a submarine is an exceptionally rare occurrence.
The statement highlighted that the two defense ministers also discussed Israel’s actions in Gaza, the importance of minimizing civilian casualties, progress towards achieving a ceasefire, and the release of Gaza hostages.
The Palestinian Health Authority claimed that the day before this call, Israel launched an airstrike on a shelter converted from a school in Gaza, resulting in at least 80 deaths and nearly 50 injuries, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the ongoing conflict.
Israel acknowledged the airstrike but stated that their target was an armed militants’ command center within the school and accused Hamas of exaggerating the casualty figures.
On Sunday, two sources informed the US news outlet Axios that the latest assessment from Israeli intelligence indicates that Iran is preparing to directly attack Israel within the next few days in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leaders.
The sources mentioned that the intelligence assessment suggests the attack could occur before the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza scheduled for Thursday, potentially jeopardizing the progress of the talks.
However, reports suggest there are internal divisions within Iran on the issue. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is reportedly in favor of avoiding a strong response, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran advocates for a larger-scale attack compared to the one in April this year when Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted.