US sends additional military forces to Middle East amid rising regional tensions – Pentagon

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered additional bombers and Navy warships to the Middle East, US officials confirmed to Fox News on Friday.

Austin is sending several B-52 Stratofortress bombers, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers to the Middle East, two U.S. Defense Department officials confirmed to Fox News.

It comes amid reports Iran may retaliate after last week’s Israeli strikes knocked out Iran’s three remaining S-300 air defense systems.

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Strategic move from American military This comes against the backdrop of Israel’s escalating conflict with Hamas in Gaza and interaction with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Biden administration has been clear about its position on both defending Israel and protecting American interests in the region.

“The highest goal I have set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Thursday at a graduation ceremony for soldiers in the army. Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “Stopping the nuclear program has been and remains our main concern.

Secretary of Defense Austin at the Pentagon

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a news conference with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun at the Pentagon on October 30, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. The news conference followed a U.S.-ROK security consultative meeting as the two allies closely monitor and raise concerns about North Korea’s deployment of about 10,000 troops in Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“I have not, we have not, and will not be distracted from this goal,” Netanyahu added.

It is unclear whether the military assets sent will be in Israel, Iran or elsewhere.

Nuclear-capable long-range B-52 bombers have often deployed to the Middle East in the past, demonstrating US resolve toward Iran. The US recently sent B-2 stealth bombers to Yemen, which struck Houthi targets in October.

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Officials have not disclosed the exact number of U.S. aircraft and ships that will be deployed, but the total number of troops could decrease with the departure of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The Lincoln’s departure from the region back to its home port in San Diego, scheduled for mid-November, could take up to 5,000 sailors out of the country. Middle East. There will be no immediate replacement of the carrier, officials told The Associated Press.

This gap in aircraft carrier presence, which is seen as a deterrent to regional threats, will be addressed by the deployment of additional Navy destroyers. Navy destroyers equipped with missile defense systems could be sourced from either the Indo-Pacific region or Europe.

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), left, the Royal Navy air defense destroyer HMS Defender (D 36), and the guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) transit through the strait. Hormuz, November 19, 2019. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the US 5th Fleet area of operations to support naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific Ocean through western India. The ocean and three strategic chokepoints. With Abraham Lincoln as its flagship, the strike group’s deployed assets include the headquarters, ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, Destroyer Squadron 2 (DESRON), the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and the carrier air wing (CG 55). KVV) 7. (Zachary Pearson, US Navy via Getty Images)

While officials did not specify the length of this hiatus from the carriers to The Associated Press, the USS Harry S. Truman and its three supporting warships are expected to move to the Mediterranean after NATO exercises in the North Sea conclude.

Lincoln, along with two of her destroyers, is currently based in the Gulf of Oman. Another destroyer operates in the Red Sea alongside US warships.

The United States has a Marine landing group and two destroyers in the Mediterranean.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jasmine is a Fox News Digital writer and military spouse living in New Orleans. Stories can be sent to [email protected].