"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C
and F/A-18 Block III fighters, has entered the US Central Command (USCENTCOM)
area of responsibility,” CENTCOM announced on X.
The flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, the USS Abraham
Lincoln, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing
(CVW) 9.
This deployment follows the Pentagon's earlier decision to
bolster military assets in the Middle East in anticipation of potential retaliation
by Iran against Israel.
Secretary Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier
Strike Group to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area, adding to
the existing capabilities provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike
Group. The deployment also includes the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile
submarine.
These moves come in response to escalating tensions in the
region, particularly following the assassination of Hamas’s political chief
Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 and the Israeli airstrike that killed
senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on July 30.
Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of these actions,
though Israel has not confirmed its involvement. Iran has vowed "harsh
punishment" in retaliation for the killing of Haniyeh on its soil.
The escalation is part of a broader context of ongoing
conflict, with Israel's offensive against the Gaza Strip resulting in the
deaths of over 40,170 Palestinians since October 07, 2023.
