A second US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, strengthening American military presence in the region amid heightened geopolitical tensions and security challenges.
The deployment of USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East has put them alongside their counterpart, USS Theodore Roosevelt. This move highlights concerns about a possible escalation between Iran and Israel at present.
On Thursday, US Central Command declared on X (previously Twitter) that a fleet of destroyers is providing an escort to the USS Abraham Lincoln as it carries both F-35 and F-18 fighters.
Earlier this month, in response to the killings of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah operative Fuad Shukr in Beirut, the carrier group was deployed to the region by The Pentagon.
Shukr’s death was acknowledged by Israel, but they did not confirm nor deny their involvement in Haniyeh’s demise. Tehran retaliated with a warning of severe consequences for Israel and the possibility of cross-border attacks loomed over them. Alimohammad Naini, spokeperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated that time is on their side and there could be a significant delay before any action takes place as revenge against this incident.
The threat of further assaults by the Israel Defense Forces on Hezbollah in Lebanon has raised concerns about a potential invasion.
Concerns are rising among the US and Israel over Iran’s potential collaboration with different pro-Palestinian factions, such as Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to carry out a joint attack against the Jewish state.
Last April, a bombing carried out by Israel on an Iranian consulate in Damascus resulted in the death of multiple high-ranking Iranian leaders. As retaliation for this attack, Tehran launched a series of drone and missile strikes against Israel that ended up injuring scores of civilians. A considerable number of these projectiles were effectively desisted with assistance from several countries including Jordan, France, UK and US.
