The US military will deploy additional assets to the Middle East, amid fears of an intensified regional escalation.
Washington seeks to boost its defenses in the region after threats from Iran and its allies to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after the killing of senior Hezbollah commander, Fouad Shukr, in Beirut.
Bolstering Military Presence
The US Department of Defense announced on Friday it will send more defensive capabilities to the Middle East. The Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh, said in a statement that the deployment “will be in response to threats from Iran and Iranian-backed militias.”
This move aims to “bolster force protection for US forces region wide, to provide elevated support to the defense of Israel and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to this evolving crisis,” Singh added.
Moving Assets
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group currently deployed to the region, to maintain a carrier strike group presence in the Middle East.
Moreover, Austin has ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the regions of European and US Central Commands. The Pentagon is also preparing to send more land-based ballistic missile defense.
Additionally, the Pentagon will deploy an additional fighter jet squadron to the Middle East to reinforce the US defensive air support capability. Singh noted that these posture adjustments add to the US military capabilities in the region, including the USS WASP Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Fearing Retaliation
After the killing of Haniyeh and Shukr, US officials fear that Iran and its allies will retaliate against Israel, sparking a wave of escalated violence in the Middle East that could drag the region to an all-out war.
In April, Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel, in response to a suspected Israeli strike on Iranian consular building in Syria that killed seven Iranian IRGC officers, including two senior commanders. Back then, Israel succeeded in knocking down most of the missiles and drones with the help of the US and other allies.
This time, however, Hezbollah in Lebanon could be a serious challenge to any US efforts to intercept drone and missiles heading to Israel due to the group’s large arsenal and its proximity to Israel, according to Reuters.
US Commitment
In a call with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the US President, Joe Biden, “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis,” the White House said in a statement.
Furthermore, Biden discussed the new defensive US military deployments to support Israel’s defense against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones.
Potential Ramifications
The targeting of Haniyeh and Shukr, two senior leaders, carry potential risks that could drive the region into further escalation and violence. These Israeli strikes came at a critical timing when mediation efforts are under way to bring the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to an end.
Moreover, there have been intense diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Hezbollah to end the cross-border fighting that has been going on for months.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the assassination of Hamas’ leader could prompt the group to withdraw from ceasefire negotiations mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar.
Commenting on Haniyeh’s assassination, the Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, wrote on X: “How can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?”
Additionally, there are growing concerns over the eruption of a devastating regional war, as a result of the potential Iranian response that might also involve Hezbollah and other Tehran-backed militias.
Limited Response
On the other hand, Colonel Abbas Dahouk, Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State, expected that Iran’s response to Israel will be of limited scale to avoid sparking a wider regional war.
“Iran will try to surprise Israel with its response. Iran has the capability to launch missiles from various locations. Therefore, there might be attacks from Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Iran,” Dahouk told Al-Hadath TV.
“However, these attacks will be of limited scale and within a specific time frame. Otherwise, it will be hard for Iran to do more than that or it will have to bear consequences. An Iranian escalation will be met with an Israeli escalation. In this case, the US will be forced to intervene to help Israel,” he added.
