US carrier-based aircraft flew to the Middle East base to reinforce and assist Israel in its defense; US troops may become targets of attack
2024-08-08
한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina
The U.S. military deployed troops in the Middle East to assist in the defense of Israel and became a target of attack.
According to a report by Chinanews.com on August 7, a U.S. official said that more than a dozen F/A-18 fighters and an E-2D Hawkeye reconnaissance aircraft on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have flown to a military base in the Middle East. The official reportedly said that the F/A-18 fighters and an E-2D Hawkeye reconnaissance aircraft took off from the aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Oman and arrived at a base in the Middle East on August 5.
F/A-18E fighter jets carried by a US aircraft carrier.
With the assassinations of important leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, tensions in the Middle East have escalated again. Iran has said that "Israel will once again be punished by Iran for this." In order to cope with possible military conflicts, the US military has adjusted its military deployment in the Middle East and is ready to assist in the defense of Israel.
US carrier-based aircraft reinforce the Middle East
The report said the land-based deployment of the U.S. Navy fighter jets is expected to be temporary as an Air Force F-22 fighter squadron is flying from its original base in Alaska to the same base. The official said a dozen F-22s are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.
The report also said it was unclear how long all the aircraft would remain at the base together, which could depend on what happens in the next few days.
On the one hand, these reinforcements can be used to intercept cruise missiles and suicide drones launched by Iran in its attacks on Israel. On the other hand, they can be used to carry out air strikes on ground targets that pose a threat to the US military, such as the Houthi armed forces and the Shiite armed forces in Iraq.
Earlier, according to the U.S. Capitol Hill newspaper, U.S. Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singer said on August 2 that U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin ordered adjustments to the U.S. military posture, increasing the U.S. military presence in the Middle East and strengthening U.S. support for Israel.
According to the statement, in addition to sending fighter jets, the Pentagon will also send additional cruisers and destroyers with ballistic missile defense capabilities to the U.S. European Command and the U.S. Central Command, take measures to send more land-based ballistic missile defense systems, and maintain the presence of aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East, that is, replace the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group currently deployed in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility with the USS Lincoln. The statement also said that these military posture adjustments have enhanced the extensive capabilities maintained by the U.S. military in the Middle East.
Currently, the USS Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group deployed by the US military includes 7 warships, including the aircraft carrier, the destroyer Cole, and the destroyer La Boone, while the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which is about to arrive, has 6 warships. Analysts believe that after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Lincoln arrives in the waters near the Middle East, the USS Roosevelt may not return to the US mainland immediately, but will maintain a dual-carrier battle group to enhance deterrence and exert more military pressure on Iran and members of the "resistance axis".
According to the U.S. Naval Institute News Network on August 5, the next aircraft carrier planned to be deployed in the Middle East is the USS Truman (CVN-75), which is currently conducting pre-deployment training near the east coast of the United States.
In addition to the aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy also plans to deploy additional Aegis warships in the Middle East. In the past few months, the warships have performed outstandingly in intercepting drones and cruise missiles launched by the Houthi armed forces at Israel.
In April this year, during Iran's first military strike against Israel from its homeland, the US military deployed in the Middle East conducted multi-level interception of drones and missiles launched by Iran. Many drones and cruise missiles were intercepted before reaching Israel, alleviating the military pressure on Israel. It is reported that in this interception operation, the US military used the "Standard-3" anti-missile interceptor missile in actual combat for the first time.
Will the US military also be targeted?
According to CCTV News on August 6, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on the 5th that Iran has informed Israel through Hungary that it will "attack Israel."
Earlier, U.S. officials said Iran could launch a retaliation against Israel as early as the 5th, and Lebanon's Hezbollah might be involved. Officials familiar with the matter revealed that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told foreign ministers of other G7 member countries that Iran might launch a retaliation within 24 to 48 hours, but the U.S. did not know the exact time.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said on the 5th that Iran does not want to escalate regional tensions, but believes it is necessary to "punish" Israel and that action is "inevitable." He also asked the US government to stop supporting Israel and called on the international community to support Iran's actions to "punish the aggressor."
As of August 7, Iran has not launched a military strike against Israel. The Jerusalem Post reported that sources said Iran plans to launch an attack on Israel on August 12-13, the sacred "Temple Destruction Day". The report mentioned that Temple Destruction Day is a national day of mourning for the Jewish people. This day is the day when the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed.
It is worth noting that in the process of the US military adjusting its military deployment in the Middle East to assist in the defense of Israel, the US military has become a target of attacks.
On August 5, according to US defense officials, a military base in Iraq where US troops were stationed was attacked by rockets, injuring several US personnel. The US military said that the attack injured at least five US soldiers, and the number of casualties may change. No organization or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.
U.S. President Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed on the attack on the 5th. The White House said, "Participants discussed measures to defend U.S. forces and respond to any attack on U.S. personnel in the manner and location of our choice."
The day before the attack on U.S. troops in Iraq, Yemeni Houthi armed spokesman Yahya Saraiya said on the 4th that the organization shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone in Saada Province in northern Yemen. Saraiya did not disclose the specific time of shooting down the drone, but claimed that this was the seventh time the organization had shot down this type of drone since October last year.
In a statement issued by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on August 3, it was mentioned that the assassination of Haniyeh was planned and carried out by Israel and supported by the US government.
Some analysts believe that before and after Iran launches a military strike against Israel, the Houthi armed forces and Iraqi Shiites may continue to look for opportunities to launch attacks on US troops deployed in the Middle East to cooperate with possible strikes against Israel.
The Paper reporter Nan Boyi
(This article is from The Paper. For more original information, please download the "The Paper" APP)
