Washington– The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three escorts Warships arrived in the Middle EastWhich brings up the renewed possibility that President Donald Trump may choose to order air strikes on Iran over it Suppression of demonstrators.
US Central Command said Monday on social media that the aircraft carrier, along with three destroyers, is “currently deployed in the Middle East to enhance regional security and stability.”
Central Command said the strike group was in the Indian Ocean, not in the Arabian Sea bordering Iran. It will bring thousands of additional service personnel to the region, which has not had a US aircraft carrier since USS Gerald R. Ford In October he was ordered to sail to the Caribbean as part of a A pressure campaign against then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump told reporters last week that ships were being sent to the region “just in case.” He added: “We have a huge fleet heading in this direction, and we probably won’t have to use it.”
Trump had previously threatened military action if Iran carried out mass executions of prisoners or killed peaceful demonstrators during the crackdown on protests that began in late December. At least 5,973 people were killed and more than 41,800 others were arrested, according to activists. the Official Iranian death toll It is much lower, at 3,117 dead.
And more recently, Trump He seems to have backed down of possible action, claiming that Iran has halted the execution of 800 detained protesters. He did not clarify the source of the allegation Iran’s top prosecutor described the matter as “completely false.”
However, Trump appears to be keeping his options open. He said Thursday on Air Force One He threatened military action That would make it last year US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites “You will look like peanuts” if the government goes ahead with the planned executions of some protesters.
The aircraft carrier hosts multiple squadrons of aircraft, including the F-35 Lightning II and F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets. Meanwhile, destroyers carry hundreds of missiles, which could include dozens of Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.
In addition to the aircraft carrier and its equipment, the US military said that the Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet now has a presence in the region.
Analysts who track flight tracking data noted that dozens of U.S. military cargo planes were also heading to the region.
This activity is similar to what happened last year when the United States moved air defense equipment, including the Patriot missile system, in anticipation of an Iranian counterattack following the attack. Bombing three major nuclear sites. Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base days after the strikes.