The United States has ordered additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East in support of Israel amid rising tensions in the region following the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) said on Friday.
Haniyeh, Hamas' political bureau chief, was killed in a targeted strike earlyon July 31 in a guesthouse in Iran's capital, Tehran. He was in the city for the swearing in ceremony of newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of conducting the strike that killed Haniyeh. However, Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.
In the aftermath of Haniyeh's assassination, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel had "prepared a harsh punishment for itself." In a similar sentiment, Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said in a Saturday statement that revenge for Haniyeh's killing will be "severe and at an appropriate time, place, and manner."
Haniyeh's killing came a day after Israel confirmed it took out Iran-backed group Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut, Lebanon. The strike also killed at least five civilians, according to Lebanese Health Ministry per the Associated Press (AP).
Newsweek has reached out to the Israeli government for comment via email on Saturday.
Both killings, which took place in two countries' capitals, have elevated regional tensions. On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut sent an email alerting citizens in the capital "who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them," noting that several airlines have suspended or cancelled flights. It warned those who wish to stay, to "prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period of time."
In a statement Friday, the Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the DOD is taking steps "to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies," and reaffirmed the U.S.'s "ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel."
The U.S. is Israel's strongest ally and has repeatedly vowed diplomatic and military support to the country following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 people taken as hostages, of which around 120 remain held.
Israel has since engaged in numerous air and ground offensives, razing much of Gaza while displacing more than 2.1 million Palestinians and killing upward of 39,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, per the AP.
On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to protecting Israel in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Singh added on Friday that "to maintain a carrier strike group presence in the Middle East, the Secretary [Lloyd Austin] has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, currently on deployment in the Central Command area of responsibility."
In addition to sea-preparedness, "The Secretary has also ordered the deployment of an additional fighter squadron to the Middle East, reinforcing our defensive air support capability."
The DOD also "ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command regions," and is increasing readiness "to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense."
Earlier this week, DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin told media aboard the USNS Millinocket, "If Israel is attacked, we certainly will help defend Israel," adding, "You saw us do that in April; you can expect to see us do that again."
On Friday, he reiterated U.S. military support to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, informing him of "ongoing and future defensive force posture changes" the department will implement to support Israel's defense.
In April, the U.S., along with other Israeli allies like the United Kingdom and France, were involved in intercepting an unprecedented Iranian drone and missile barrage fired at Israel.
Newsweek has also reached out to the DOD's press team for comment via email on Saturday.
Updated 8/3/24 at 1:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include additional context.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
