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Increased force posture to remain in place for the foreseeable future.
The flow of additional US military assets closer to Iran has “gotten into the headspace” of Tehran, the Pentagon said Thursday, as the international community awaits a promised Iranian retaliation against Israel.
“We’ve moved capabilities into the region that I think it’s fair to say have gotten into the headspace of Iran and will influence their calculation on how and if they choose to respond,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.
“We don’t want to see that happen, but we have two carrier strike groups there, each… with four destroyers,” Singh told Al Arabiya English during a press briefing at the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a second aircraft carrier to leave the Indo-Pacific and deploy to the waters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operation (AOR). The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group arrived Wednesday night after Austin issued a second order for the Lincoln aircraft carrier to accelerate its transit.
Singh revealed that the Lincoln aircraft carrier had a few stops in the Indo-Pacific, which were pulled down after Austin’s orders.
Singh said the bolstered US force posture sent a “very powerful” message of deterrence but also that Washington will stand with Israel if it is attacked.
Iran, Hezbollah attacks on Israel still expected
The US military rushed to reinforce its presence in recent weeks after Iran and Hezbollah vowed to retaliate against Israel for two assassinations in Beirut and Tehran.
But the anticipated response has yet to come, with Iran and the Lebanese militant group saying leaving the “enemy” waiting is part of the psychological warfare game they are playing.
Additional US military assets being sent to the region include thousands of extra troops, ballistic missile defense systems, a nuclear-powered submarine equipped with dozens of cruise missiles, the USS Wasp and more.
US officials had anticipated an Iranian response in the days after the July 30th killing of a top Hamas political figure, Ismail Haniyeh, and top Hezbollah military commander, Fuad Shukr. The intelligence was then updated several times, pushing back the timing of any response.
As of Thursday night, US officials familiar with the latest intel assessments said that Washington was still expecting some sort of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah. It remains unclear whether they will coordinate to conduct a joint response or each will conduct their own operation. “The Iranians are still able to launch an attack within 12-24 hours of making that decision, which they have yet to make,” one US official told Al Arabiya English.
It is also the expectation that Hezbollah will strike at the heart of Israel in what would be identified as a clear response to the killing of Shukr. Citing US officials, the Washington Post said the Iran-backed group has decided against a plan to launch a barrage of missiles at Tel Aviv.
The US official, speaking to Al Arabiya English on condition of anonymity to speak freely, said the picture was still murky as to what the Iranians and Hezbollah would precisely do. As for the US military assets in the region, the official said the expectation is that they will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
A second US official said that plans to redeploy elsewhere are contingent upon a ceasefire in Gaza. If the Iranians cross certain red lines in an attack on Israel, “things could quickly go south, and we would have the ability to send an aircraft carrier into the [Arabian] Gulf,” the second official said.
Nevertheless, the only way to ease tensions in the region and prevent further escalation is for Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire agreement, US officials have repeatedly said.