US rushes carrier group, missile sub to Middle East
WASHINGTON—US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III ordered an aircraft carrier group and a guided missile submarine to hasten its arrival in the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Sunday, as mounting tensions raise fears of a region-wide war.
It is a show of support for key US ally Israel after Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group vowed to avenge last month’s killings of Hamas political Chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Commander Fuad Shukr.
Austin gave the order after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told him on Sunday that Iran was making preparations for a large-scale military attack on Israel.
Confirming the call between Austin and Gallant, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the secretary also ordered the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln—equipped with F-35 fighters—and the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to “accelerate transit” to the region.
The US military had said it would deploy additional fighter jets and warships to the region to bolster Israeli defenses.
Strategic coordination
In a statement on Monday, the Israeli defense ministry said Gallant and Austin discussed operational and strategic coordination and the Israeli military’s readiness in the face of Iranian threats.
Ryder said the pair discussed “the importance of mitigating civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza,” and efforts to deter aggression by Iran-aligned groups in the region.
On Friday, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards deputy commander was quoted as saying by local news agencies that Iran was set to carry out an order by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to “harshly punish” Israel over the assassination on July 31 of the leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas in Tehran.
The Gaza war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also seized 251 people, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 39,790 people, according to the Palestinian territory’s health ministry, which does not provide details on civilian and militant deaths.
