Second US aircraft carrier arrives in the Middle East
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several destroyers are now in the Middle East amid concerns about a wider conflict between Israel and Iran.
The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the Middle East, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which was already deployed in the region. The presence of the US warships reflects concerns about the possibility of a larger escalation between Israel and Iran.
The US Central Command announced on X (formerly Twitter) on August 22 that the USS Abraham Lincoln was carrying F-35 and F-18 fighter jets and was escorted by a destroyer flotilla.
The Pentagon dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the region earlier this month following the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and senior Hezbollah operative Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Israel has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Shukr, but has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in Haniyeh's death. Tehran has, however, threatened Israel with "severe punishment" as the Jewish state prepares for cross-border attacks.
“Time is on our side and the wait for this response may be long,” Alimohammad Naini, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on August 20.
For its part, the Israel Defense Forces threatened more military strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, raising fears of a full-scale attack.
The US and Israel fear Iran could launch a coordinated attack on the Jewish state, in coordination with various pro-Palestinian groups, including Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.
In April, Israel attacked an Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing several senior Iranian commanders. Tehran responded by launching a barrage of missiles and drones at the Jewish state, injuring dozens of civilians. Many of the drones were shot down with the help of the US, UK, France and Jordan.
