U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Friday that the military would adjust its posture in the Middle East following the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Iran.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it would move fighter jet units to the Middle East and keep its aircraft carriers based in the region.
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Additionally, President Biden fulfilled a promise he made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by ordering additional cruisers and destroyers equipped with ballistic missile defense capabilities to the region.
“In order to maintain a Carrier Strike Group presence in the Middle East, the Secretary of Defense has ordered the replacement of the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, currently deployed in the Central Command area of responsibility, with the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group,” the Pentagon statement said.
President Joe Biden arrives at the Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. President Biden is spending the weekend at his Delaware home. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senator)
President Joe Biden arrives at the Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. President Biden is spending the weekend at his Delaware home. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Senatar)
“These posture adjustments enhance the broad range of capabilities U.S. forces maintain in the region, including the USS WASP Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) operating in the eastern Mediterranean,” the release continued.
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The move to expand defense capabilities in the Middle East comes on the heels of the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran on Wednesday. Senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukr was also killed in Beirut a day earlier.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin smiles as he answers questions during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
The Pentagon statement did not say where in the Middle East the squadron or carrier would be based.
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“The United States also remains committed to de-escalating tensions and promoting a ceasefire in the region as part of a hostage deal to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza,” the statement concluded.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
