Fighter jets and warships rushed to Middle East as Iran-Israel war fears explode.
*as Iran has vowed to respond to the assassination Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. It’s widely thought to have been carried out by the US’s close ally Israel, which is yet to confirm or deny responsibility.
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The US military will deploy extra fighter jets and warships to the Middle East to strengthen its defences after a series of threats from Iran and proxies.
Iran has vowed to respond to the assassination Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week. It’s widely thought to have been carried out by the US’s close ally Israel, which is yet to confirm or deny responsibility.
The attack was among a series of killings of senior figures in the terror group.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had greenlit sending additional Navy cruisers and destroyers, which are able to take down ballistic missiles to Europe and the Middle East, where an additional squadron of fighter jets will also be sent, Reuters reports.
In a statement, the Pentagon said: “Austin has ordered adjustments to US military posture designed to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies.”
It came after speculation the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group in the Middle East might not be replaced after completing its current deployment, though Austin now plans to replace it with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier strike group when they wrap up their operations.
The Pentagon also said it would be increasing readiness to deploy further ballistic missile defenses on land.
American deployments were also intensified prior to Iran’s done and missile attack on Israeli territory on April 13. The US and other allies helped Israel intercept almost all the 300 or so drones and missiles.
Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza now risks opening up another front after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah confirmed Wednesday that Israel killed a top commander after a rare strike in Beirut, vowing revenge.
The group said it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops and set off a fire.
Hezbollah said in a statement it targeted a military base in northern Israel in response to “attacks and assassinations” carried out by Israel in several villages in south Lebanon.
The attack did not appear to be part of a more intense retaliation expected in response to the killing of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut last week.
Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, but they have previously kept the conflict at a low level that had not escalated into full-on war.
It’s feared repelling attacks by Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran, could present unique challenges given their close proximity to Israel and vast arsenal.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh says an escalation in the conflict is not inevitable.
She commented: “I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off-ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal.”
Israel is sending a delegation to Cairo in coming days for talks over a potential Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel in a terror attack on October 7, 2023, kidnapping around 250. Since then, the Israeli army has killed over 39,000 Palestinians while fighting Hamas in Gaza, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and militants in their count.
