The US may be gathering 200 Tomahawk missiles around Syria

The US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG-84) passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on September 12, entering the Mediterranean Sea.Interfaxreported yesterday, citing international maritime surveillance data.

A witness in Gibraltar confirmed that a US destroyer passed through the area on September 12. With the appearance of the USS Bulkeley, which is capable of carrying 56 Tomahawk cruise missiles, the US forces in the Mediterranean may have up to 200 cruise missiles, ready to receive orders to attack targets in Syria. The US has not commented on this information.

According to Russian military officials, the Virginia-class attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN-750) capable of carrying 40 US Tomahawk missiles arrived in the Mediterranean last week.

In addition, in August, the US also sent the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS The Sullivans and a Fletcher-class destroyer USS Ross capable of carrying 28 Tomahawk missiles to this sea area, while a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber carrying 24 AGM-159 JASSM long-range cruise missiles also appeared at Al Udeid air base in Qatar.

The information was released by Russian media in the context of the US continuously threatening to launch a new air strike against Syria. Washington affirmed that there is a lot of evidence showing that Damascus is preparing to use chemical weapons in the campaign to liberate the stronghold of Idlib from the hands of Islamist rebels.

Russia has denied the accusations, saying the US had instructed rebel groups in Idlib to plan a fake chemical attack and blame it on the Syrian government. Last week, Russia began large-scale naval exercises off the Syrian coast, a move seen as a signal of its readiness to deter a US attack.