The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is already deployed in the region. The presence of the American warships reflects fears of a larger escalation between Israel and Iran.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is carrying F-35 and F-18 fighters and is being escorted by a squadron of destroyers, US Central Command announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
The Pentagon dispatched the carrier group to the region earlier this month following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and high-ranking Hezbollah operative Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Israel claimed responsibility for the strike that killed Shukr, but neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in Haniyeh’s death. Tehran, however, threatened Israel with “harsh punishment,” as the Jewish state braced for cross-border attacks. “Time is in our favor and the waiting period for this response could be long,” Alimohammad Naini, spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Tuesday.
The Israel Defense Forces, in turn, threatened more attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, sparking fears of a full-blown invasion.
The US and Israel are worried Iran could carry out a combined strike on the Jewish state, working in tandem with various pro-Palestinian groups, including Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
In April, Israel struck an Iranian consulate building in Damascus, killing several senior Iranian commanders. Tehran responded by launching a barrage of missiles and drones at the Jewish state, injuring dozens of civilians. Many projectiles were shot down with the help of the US, UK, France and Jordan.