WASHINGTON– US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is urging the battle group of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to move to the area more quickly, the Defense Department said on Sunday.
The moves come as the US and other allies are pushing for Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement that could help calm growing tensions in the region following the assassinations of Hamas politician Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
Officials fear retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the United States is increasing its presence in the region.
Major General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement that Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant earlier in the day and reiterated America’s commitment to “taking all possible steps to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. forces and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.”
The Lincoln, which was in the Asia-Pacific, had already been ordered to the region to relieve the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier battle group, which is due to begin its journey home from the Middle East. Last week, Austin said the Lincoln would arrive in the Central Command area by the end of the month.
It was unclear Sunday what his latest order means and how much sooner the Lincoln will head to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier carries F-35 fighter jets, in addition to the F/A-18s that are also on carriers.
Ryder also did not say how quickly the guided missile submarine USS Georgia would reach the region.
He said Austin and Gallant also discussed Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and the importance of mitigating harm to civilians.
The call came one day after an Israeli airstrike hit a school in the Gaza Strip that had been converted into an emergency shelter early on Saturday morning. According to Palestinian health authorities, at least 80 people were killed and nearly 50 others injured. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the ten-month war between Israel and Hamas.
