The U.S. is sending a carrier strike group, a fighter squadron, and additional warships to the Middle East. This comes as the region braces for potential Iranian retaliation following recent tensions. Israel has declared its readiness for various scenarios after the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
🚨Last night in northern Israel: a barrage of Hezbollah rockets fired at Israeli communities.
We will not allow Hezbollah, Hamas or any other Iranian proxy to harm the people of Israel. pic.twitter.com/QO291ufsaO
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 4, 2024
Israelis have been stocking up on supplies, airlines have canceled flights, and travel warnings have been issued.
🚨rocket alarms sounding in southern Israel 🚨
We will not allow Israelis to be terrorized by Hamas, Hezbollah or any other Iranian proxy. pic.twitter.com/crwF3Zy7Ee
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 2, 2024
John Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council, stated, “We’ve heard the Supreme Leader loud and clear that he intends to avenge the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran, and they want to conduct another attack on Israel.”
Canceled flights, satellite phones and high-level meetings between 🇮🇱 and 🇬🇧 as the Middle East braces for Iranian attack on Israel. My latest for @Telegraph https://t.co/XveaMY0Kfz
— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) August 2, 2024
On Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group in the Gulf of Oman. Destroyers and cruisers capable of ballistic missile defense will also be sent to the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea.
The US already has the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship in the area. It operates with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which can carry out an evacuation of US citizens in Lebanon if needed. Kuwaiti Airlines has suspended all flights to Beirut due to the current situation in the region.
US bolsters military presence
Other airlines, including Air France and Lufthansa, have also canceled their flights to Beirut. In Israel, citizens have been stocking up at supermarkets.
The Victory supermarket chain reported that sales of canned food, cereals, pasta, toilet paper, frozen meat, bottled water, and hygiene wipes are up by 30%. Iran has vowed to attack Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh, though Israel has not commented on the killing. US officials are closely monitoring the region for indications of how Iran might respond.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted that a coordinated attack on Israel could be imminent. “Because they have picked a fight with everyone, they don’t know where the response will come from … the response will come separately or coordinated,” he said in a speech. The current deployment highlights the critical and volatile situation in the Middle East.
It underscores the broader implications of regional conflicts and international relations. The world watches closely as events unfold and tensions remain high.
