THE US have deployed a fleet of warships and fighter jets to the Middle East amid fears of an attack from Iran in the war-torn region.
After almost 10 months of brutal warfare in the destroyed Gaza Strip, Israel and Iran have entered a new phase of escalating tensions.
AFPThe USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike warship (pictured) is set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt – currently out in the Middle East[/caption]
Fighters jets are also being sent to the region (file image)
The Gaza Strip has been destroyed after almost 10 months of war between Hamas and Israel
An Iranian missile fired in April against Israel
Hezbollah fighters carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District of Lebanon
Political leader of terror group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, killed in a suspected Israeli airstrike in Iran
Israeli forces have recently carried out a series of targeted high-profile assassinations, killing two senior Hamas leaders and a Hezbollah commander.
Iran and its proxy groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis have all made threats to seek revenge for the deaths of their allies and leaders.
Officials in America, Israel’s most powerful ally, expect a retaliatory attack from Iran which could hit in the next few days.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday ordered more combat jets and missile-shooting warships to the region, the New York Times reports.
Top intelligence brass estimate the attack will be larger than a horde of several hundred missiles launched by Tehran against Israel in April, and it could involve Hezbollah, Axios reports.
It comes after The Sun revealed that British Royal Marines have been placed on standby to evacuate Brits stranded in Lebanon – where Hezbollah are based – yesterday.
In April, Iran fired hundreds of rockets towards Tel Aviv in a dangerous escalation of tensions.
Israeli defences destroyed almost all of the rockets and unleashed its own hyper precise strike which hit an airbase near Isfahan, in central Iran.
Three US officials told Axios that President Biden held a crisis meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to discuss the Middle East melting pot.
Biden assured Netanyahu on Thursday that US military deployments would be sent out to help Israel defend itself against the Iran threat.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike warship is set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt – currently out in the Middle East.
More cruises and destroyers with systems designed to intercept ballistic missiles are also being sent out.
The Pentagon said: “Secretary Austin has ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies.
“The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense.”
An unnamed Iranian diplomat told The Wall Street Journal in response to questions of deescalation: “There is no point. Israel crossed all the red lines.
“Our response will be swift and heavy.”
On Friday defence chief Austin reportedly told his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, that new forces would be sent to the region to help Israel defend itself.
Austin said “further escalation is not inevitable” and “all countries in the region would benefit from a de-escalation in tensions, including through completing a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal.”
On Wednesday an Israeli strike killed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political boss, while he slept in a military-grade compound in Tehran.
Haniyeh was responsible for arranging the hostage negotiations for Hamas.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also announced on Thursday that a July airstrike on a Gazan city killed senior Hamas operative Mohammed Deif.
Iran’s aerial attack on Israel on April 13 2024
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
IRAN launched an unprecedented aerial barrage on Israel overnight on Saturday April 13.
In the first attack of its kind, Iran hurled 110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles and 185 attack drones across Middle Eastern airspace.
Between Israel’s impressive Iron Dome air defence system and allied efforts from the UK and US, Tehran’s attack was largely thwarted.
At least four Typhoon fighters took out some of the weapons bound for Israel after scrambling from the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the ambush as a “declaration of war”.
Despite worldwide calls for cool heads to prevail, Netanyahu’s ranks repeatedly insisted that a retaliatory strike would be the only response.
IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said: “We cannot stand still from this kind of aggression, Iran will not get [off] scot-free with this aggression.
“We will respond in our time, in our place, in the way that we will choose.”
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council vowed to hit back against Israel if a counter-attack was launched.
US president Joe Biden, said to privately fear a catastrophic escalation in the Middle East, pushed Netanyahu to call off an immediate retaliation on Saturday night.
Israel’s war cabinet then spent days locked in crunch meetings and quickly approved plans for an “offensive” but the timing and scale remained murky.
Despite Israel claiming otherwise, the US made clear that it would not contribute to a revenge hit against Iran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attends the funeral prayer of Haniyeh
Footage of an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis that killed Mohammed Deif in July
An Israeli strike on Lebanon
The heavily guarded military compound where Haniyeh was sleeping when he was killed