US Military Presence in Middle East Expands

In the aftermath of the extraterritorial killing of Hamas top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Iran and top Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut, Iran has declared retaliation against Israel and openly stated that it will avenge Israel for these killings. To address the rising tensions, the US is increasing its military presence in the Middle East with a defensive plan to protect Israel from Iran’s attacks. As reported by the Pentagon, it will send additional warships and fighter jets into the Middle East to serve as a shield for Israel and to protect its US personnel.

A new fighter squadron would also be sent along with additional ballistic missiles in the Middle East region, as stated by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in order to incease US military presence in Middle East. The Hezbollah-based alliance has reported to AFP that Iranian officials met on Wednesday in Tehran to discuss their next steps. Hence, the tensions in the Middle Eastern region have sparked, and as a result, France ordered its citizens to evacuate Iran and Cyprus as soon as possible. Moreover, major airlines, including Air India, Lufthansa, and Delta Airlines, have also suspended their operations in Tel Aviv and Beirut, citing the regional instability.

On that note, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, “The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran’s partners and proxies.” He further stated, “Since the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the United States will protect our personnel and interests in the region, including our ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel.”

Moreover, the White House reported that President Joe Biden made telephonic contact on Thursday with Netanyahu to discuss the deployment of additional aircraft carriers, fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and drones. On the other hand, Iran is making the same efforts to avenge Israel. All these activities are escalating concerns that the conflict could spread across other regions of the Middle East, and the whole world will then follow its repercussions.

Following these events, Press Secretary Sabrina Singh further reiterated, “As we have demonstrated since October and again in April, the United States’ global defense is dynamic, and the Department of Defense retains the capability to deploy on short notice to meet evolving national security threats. The United States also remains intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the region and pushing for a ceasefire.”