U.S. deploys additional military forces to Middle East amid intensifying regional tensions: Pentagon

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered further bomber craft and Navy warships to the Middle East, U.S. officials confirmed to Fox News connected Friday. 

Austin is sending respective B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft, tanker craft and Navy destroyers to the Middle East, 2 U.S. defence officials confirmed to Fox News. 

This comes arsenic reports Iran whitethorn retaliate pursuing Israel's strikes past week that took retired Iran's 3 remaining S-300 aerial defence systems.

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The strategical determination from the U.S. military arrives arsenic Israel's struggle with Hamas successful Gaza and engagements with Hezbollah successful Lebanon person precocious intensified. The Biden medication has been wide astir its presumption to some support Israel and safeguard American interests successful the region.

"The ultimate nonsubjective that I person acceptable for the IDF and the information services is to forestall Iran from attaining atomic weapons," said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu connected Thursday astatine a graduation ceremonial for soldiers successful the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "Halting the atomic programme has been – and remains – our main concern. 

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a property league with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun astatine The Pentagon connected October 30, 2024, successful Arlington, Virginia. The property league follows a US-Republic of Korea (ROK) Security Consultative Meeting, arsenic the  two allies intimately show and explicit concerns astir North Korea's deployment of astir 10,000 troops to Russia, amid the ongoing struggle successful Ukraine. (Kent Nishimura / Getty Images)

"I person not taken, we person not taken, and we volition not take, our eyes disconnected this objective," added Netanyahu.

It is unclear if the subject resources sent volition beryllium successful Israel, Iran, oregon elsewhere astatine this time.

The long-range, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers person often been sent to the Middle East successful past displays of U.S. resoluteness toward Iran. The U.S. precocious deployed B-2 stealth bombers to Yemen, striking Houthi targets successful October.

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Officials person not disclosed the precise fig of U.S. craft and ships which volition beryllium moved, but the wide unit number whitethorn alteration with the USS Abraham Lincoln's departure. 

The Lincoln's departure from the portion backmost to its location larboard successful San Diego, scheduled for mid-November, could region up to 5,000 sailors from the Middle East. There is nary contiguous craft bearer replacement, officials told the Associated Press.

This spread successful bearer presence, seen arsenic a deterrent against determination threats, volition beryllium bridged by deploying further Navy destroyers. Navy destroyers which transportation ballistic rocket defence systems whitethorn beryllium sourced from either the Indo-Pacific portion oregon Europe.

In this handout photograph provided by the US Navy,  The craft bearer USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), left, the Royal Navy aerial defence destroyer HMS Defender (D 36) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) transit the Strait of Hormuz connected November 19, 2019. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet country of operations successful enactment of naval operations to guarantee maritime stableness and information successful the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific done the occidental Indian Ocean and 3 strategical choke points. With Abraham Lincoln arsenic the flagship, deployed onslaught radical assets see staffs, ships and craft of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7. (Zachary Pearson- U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

While officials person not specified the duration of this spread successful craft bearer beingness to the Associated Press, the USS Harry S. Truman and its 3 supporting warships are expected to determination to the Mediterranean Sea aft finishing NATO exercises successful the North Sea. 

The Lincoln, on with 2 of its destroyers, is presently stationed successful the Gulf of Oman. Another destroyer operates successful the Red Sea with U.S. warships.

The U.S. maintains a Marine amphibious acceptable radical and 2 destroyers successful the Mediterranean.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.