Washington: Two US Navy aircraft carriers, including the Theodore Roosevelt, are now operating in the Middle East amid continuing concerns about a larger regional war erupting.
The Pentagon has extended the deployment of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group after a largely failed attack by the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah on Israel over the weekend. Choosing to keep the second carrier in the Middle East means there will now be two carriers and their warships available for US Central Command amid the threat of a full regional war erupting.
TheĀ Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the Middle East in early July, while fellow carrier Abraham Lincoln steamed into the region last week.
Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin announced the decision in a statement over the weekend. The extensions are part of Americaās surge in forces to the region this month in an attempt to avert a larger conflict between Israel and Iran and its proxies.
Another fighter jet squadron, and other assets have also been rushed to the region. The Georgia, a ballistic missile submarine, is still on its way to CENTCOM, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder told reporters. Ryder didnāt say how long the Roosevelt would be extended or exactly when the decision was made, only saying Austin chose to do so over the weekend.
The surge seeks to provide some grey-hull deterrence after Israel launched two strikes in late July that heightened regional tensions ā one in Lebanonās capital that came in retaliation for an earlier strike from Hezbollah, and another in Tehran, killing the political leader of Hamas.
Since then, the US and its partners in the region have been bracing for return strikes from Hezbollah and Iran. The first came this weekend in an attack involving more than 230 rockets fired from Lebanon, according to the Israeli military. Pre-emptive strikes from Israel mainly thwarted the salvo.
When asked by reportersĀ whether Americaās surge in forces to the region had worked as intended, Ryder agreed. āI think that the additional forces in the theater send a very clear message to all actors in the region that were serious when it comes to supporting the defence of Israel,ā he said.
Ryder said the US had helped Israel spot incoming rockets from Hezbollah but hadnāt participated in Israelās pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon. Israel didnāt need kinetic support, Ryder said, but the US is prepared to aid in its defence going forward.
āWe continue to assess that there is a threat of attack from Iran,ā Ryder said.
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