JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - The Pentagon says U.S. forces are well positioned to counter any attack from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies in the Middle East.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh announced at a news conference that aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in the U.S. Central Command's area of operations to defend Israel and to strengthen U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.
It joins the USS Theodore Roosevelt, another American war ship that is already anchored in the region.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the Lincoln to accelerate its deployment to Central Command earlier this month. He ordered the plus-up of U.S. forces in the region 'as part of broad adjustments to [the] U.S. military posture' to ensure U.S. force protection, increase support for the defense of Israel and ensure the United States is prepared to respond to a wide range of contingencies, Singh told reporters.
An Air Force F-22 Raptor squadron has already arrived in the region, and cruise missile submarine USS Georgia is operating nearby.
'The deployment of U.S. forces to the region may have gotten into the headspace of Iranian officials who have threatened strikes on Israel,' Singh said. The forces are well positioned to counter any attack from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies, she added.
'We remain focused on efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region, and while also remaining focused on securing a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal, to bring all of the hostages home and to end the war in Gaza.'
The Defense ministers of U.S. and Israel have been in close contact discussing the two allies' joint efforts to deter attacks by Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and other pro-Iran groups as tensions mount in the region following high-profile assassinations blamed on Israel and the threat of retaliation.
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