Pentagon to send fighter jets and warships to Israel
The US Department of Defense has announced that it will send additional fighter jets and warships to the region to enhance Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran.
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The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has announced that it will send additional military support to the region to enhance Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has issued instructions regarding this matter.
According to the Pentagon's statement, the US will reorganize its military presence in the region. In this context, additional fighter jets and warships will be sent to the region to ensure Israel's regional security. Furthermore, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier will be deployed to replace the current USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier.
The US will also send additional cruisers and destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities to the region. Additionally, measures will be taken to increase land-based ballistic missile defense capabilities.
US Secretary of Defense Austin stated that further escalation of tensions in the Middle East is not inevitable and that it would be in everyone's interest for tensions in the region to decrease. Austin expressed that they will make the necessary adjustments to the American military presence when it comes to Israel's security.
In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, Austin emphasized the US commitment to Israel's security, stating that they will continue to support Tel Aviv against threats from Iran and its proxies. He also touched upon the importance of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
US President Joe Biden had mentioned in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the previous day that they were preparing to send additional military support to Israel against the Iranian threat. In a statement yesterday evening, when asked whether the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh affected the possibility of a ceasefire, Biden replied, "It hasn't helped."
Biden said he is concerned about the rising tension in the Middle East and that he had a clear conversation with Netanyahu on the matter.