US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin told Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant that he ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group "to accelerate its transit" to US Central Command (CENTCOM) areas, according to a US readout of the phone call late Sunday night.
In recent months, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of thousands on both sides. The latest death toll in Gaza stands at over 40,000 Palestinians.
In anticipation of further escalation, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group already has been operating in the Middle East. The additional carrier strike group is moving through the South Pacific, according to a maritime tracker.
"Secretary Austin reiterated the United States' commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions," the statement added.
Washington has encouraged Iran and its proxy groups to avoid any escalation of violence.
Tensions have soared in the Middle East following the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination and has vowed vengeance.
Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province was struck by rockets on August 5, injuring US personnel housed at the base.
A previously-unknown group, calling itself the “Revolutionaries,” claimed responsibility for the Ain al-Asad attack via Telegram. The group claims to be affiliated with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a shadowy network of Iraqi militia groups allegedly backed by Iran.
Pro-Iran Iraqi militias have conducted more than 165 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria since last October, according to the Pentagon. The groups condemn the US government’s support for Israel against Hamas.
