The US is deploying additional warships able to shoot down ballistic missiles to the Middle East and nearby waters, a Pentagon spokesperson said Friday, as the region braces for a potential attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies.
Sabrina Singh, the deputy press secretary, said the Pentagon is changing up the US military's force posture "to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies."
Earlier this week, Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, and hours later, it became the leading suspect in the assassination of Hamas' political chief in Iran.
The stunning, back-to-back killings sparked fears of retaliation from Iran and its proxies, which could send the region spiraling into even more conflict. Both Tehran and Hamas have vowed revenge.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin "has ordered adjustments to US military posture designed to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies," Singh said.
Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which was in the Pacific a few days ago, to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, which is deployed to the Middle East.
He also ordered additional destroyers and cruisers capable of intercepting ballistic missiles to move into waters in the Middle East and nearby within the US European Command and US Central Command areas of responsibility.
Additionally, Singh said the Pentagon is "taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense." Austin also ordered the deployment of an additional fighter squadron to the region to provide more air support.
The US already has a wide range of existing capabilities in the region, including the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has also had warships operating off the coast of Yemen.
US warships shot down Iranian ballistic missiles during Tehran's massive attack on Israel in April. American fighter jets also destroyed dozens of drones. Tehran and its proxies could launch a similar strike package with hundreds of projectiles in retaliation for recent acknowledged and suspected Israeli actions.
"As we have demonstrated since October and again in April, the United States' global defense is dynamic," Singh said, adding that the "Department of Defense retains the capability to deploy on short notice to meet evolving national security threats."
