The second US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several destroyers are now present in the Middle East amid growing concerns about a larger-scale 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 these US warships reflects concerns about the potential for a greater escalation between Israel and Iran.
The U.S. Central Command announced on X (formerly Twitter) on August 22nd that the USS Abraham Lincoln was carrying F-35 and F-18 fighter jets and was being escorted by a destroyer squadron.
The Pentagon deployed a carrier strike group to the region earlier this month following the assassination 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. However, Tehran has threatened Israel with "severe punishment" as the Jewish state prepares for cross-border attacks.
"Time is on our side and the waiting time for this response could be long," Alimohammad Naini, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on August 20.
For its part, the Israel Defense Forces threatened further military attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, raising fears of a full-scale offensive.
The US and Israel fear that Iran could carry out a coordinated attack on the Jewish state, in collaboration with various pro-Palestinian groups, including Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels.
In April, Israel attacked an Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing several high-ranking Iranian commanders. Tehran retaliated by launching a barrage of missiles and drones at the Jewish state, injuring dozens of civilians. Many of the flying objects were shot down with the help of the United States, Britain, France, and Jordan.
