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WASHINGTON: The US military will deploy more fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster defences against threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The United States is preparing for Iran to fulfill its vow to respond over its nuclear program. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed Two days ago in Tehran, the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip intensified with a series of killings of senior figures of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved sending more Navy cruisers and destroyers that can shoot down ballistic missiles to the Middle East and Europe.
It will also send a fighter squadron to the Middle East.
“Austin has ordered adjustments to the U.S. military posture designed to improve the protection of U.S. forces, increase support for Israel’s defense, and ensure the United States is prepared for a variety of contingencies,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
There had been speculation that once the USS Roosevelt completed its Middle East deployment, the Pentagon might not send a replacement for the carrier strike group, but Austin decided to send the USS Lincoln carrier strike group to take turns replacing it.
The Pentagon statement added that it would increase readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense systems.
The U.S. military also stepped up its presence ahead of Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israeli territory on April 13. However, the threat from Lebanon’s Hezbollah could present unique challenges to any U.S. effort to intercept drones and missiles, given the group’s vast arsenal and its proximity to Israel.
At that time, Israel, with the help of the United States and other allies, successfully shot down almost all of the approximately 300 drones and missiles.
The White House said Biden spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday to discuss new U.S. defensive military deployments to bolster Israel against threats such as missiles and drones.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the massacre and vowed to retaliate against their enemies. Israel has neither claimed responsibility nor denied it.
As the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza enters its 11th month, there are growing concerns that the conflict will spread across the Middle East. Haniyeh’s death is one of a series of killings of senior Hamas figures.
Earlier, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the United States does not believe escalation is inevitable.
“I think we are being very direct in our message that we certainly do not want to see tensions escalate and we do believe there is a way to de-escalate and that is a ceasefire,” Singh said.
An Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo in the coming days to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage release, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday.
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