- By Vivek Raj
- Sat, 03 Aug 2024 08:47 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The United States is boosting its military presence in the Middle East by deploying a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron, and additional warships to the region. This move comes amid heightened tensions following the killing of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group, currently operating in the Gulf of Oman. Additionally, destroyers and cruisers capable of ballistic missile defense will be deployed to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea, as per CNN.
While the statement did not specify which warships have been sent, it noted that two US destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea participated in intercepting a barrage of strikes Iran launched against Israel in April. Singh also confirmed the deployment of a fighter squadron to the region.
The US already has the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship in the region, which operates with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. This unit is capable of evacuating US citizens from Lebanon if ordered.
In response to Haniyeh's assassination, Iran has vowed to attack Israel. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led a public funeral ceremony for Haniyeh in Tehran, threatening "harsh punishment" for his killing. On Wednesday, Khamenei ordered Iran to strike Israel directly in retaliation, as per the reports by New York Times.
On August 2, hundreds of mourners gathered at Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Qatar for Haniyeh's funeral. The mourners included Khaled Meshaal, who is a potential successor to Haniyeh as the new Hamas leader. Haniyeh will be buried in a cemetery in Lusail, north of Doha.
Israel has not commented on the killing of Haniyeh, though Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of the assassination.
(With agency inputs)