As Israel girds for a ground war in Gaza, the United States is sending a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
“I have directed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement released Saturday.
Austin said the move was “part of our effort to deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts toward widening this war following Hamas’s attack on Israel.” On Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists raided multiple Israeli settlements, killing more than 1,300 people.
“No other country can do what we do.”
The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) is officially on deployment. ?⚓️@TheCVN69 | @csg_two | @COMNAVAIRLANT11 | @US2ndFleet pic.twitter.com/om9HjVK7H1
— U.S. Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) October 15, 2023
“The increases to U.S. force posture signal the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and our resolve to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war,” he said.
“These posture increases were intended to serve as an unequivocal demonstration in deed and not only in words of U.S. support for Israel’s defense and serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region who might be considering exploiting the current situation to escalate conflict,” ABC quoted what it said was a senior U.S. defense official as saying.
“Those adversaries should think twice,” the official said.
Austin said the Eisenhower’s carrier strike group includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and USS Mason.
Can you count the number of aircraft on the USS Gerald Ford, heading to the Eastern Mediterranean?
Hamas and Hezbollah, beware. pic.twitter.com/VVHdkJ6dZY— aka John Galt? (@WantYouToBeFree) October 12, 2023
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, arrived in the eastern Mediterranean last week. The strike group includes the USS Normandy, USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt.
Additional squadrons of F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft have also been deployed to the region by the U.S. Air Force, Austin’s statement said.
The 2,000 troops of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which had been assigned to Kuwait for exercises, have been moved out “to prepare for further tasking as a result of emerging events,” Capt. Angelica White, a Marine Corps representative, said last week, according to Marine Corps Times.
American military assets could do more than be involved in the Hamas-Israeli war, according to Politico.
U.S. officials are worried that the conflict could lead to attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. America officially has about 900 troops based in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq.
“That presents an opportunity,” an official who was not named said, noting that the U.S. fears Iranian-backed groups could launch a strike.
Middle East-based troops are “aware of malign actors who may seek to capitalize on conflicts and instability in the region,” Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, a representative of the U.S. forces, said.
“We will not let nefarious actors pull us into engagements that detract from our mission,” Carmichael said. “Make no mistake, we reserve our inherent right to self-defense whenever faced with threats that place our forces in harm’s way.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.