The US announced the deployment of 3,000 troops and two warships to the Middle East after Iran announced it was equipping its navy with a series of new weapons.
On August 7, the US Navy's 5th Fleet said more than 3,000 US Navy sailors and Marines from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the Middle East on August 6.
“These units will add significant capability and flexibility as the United States works with international partners to deter destabilizing activity and reduce tensions in the region following Iran’s harassment and seizure of merchant vessels earlier this year,” said Commander Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.
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| The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan transits the Suez Canal, Egypt. (Photo: US Navy 5th Fleet) |
According to the US Navy, the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship is equipped with more weapons. The ship can carry more than 20 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as landing craft.
Meanwhile, the amphibious assault ship USS Carter Hall will operate as a support ship for operations involving amphibious landings, or amphibious assaults.
Last month, the US Department of Defense said it would send F-35 and F-16 fighter jets to the Middle East along with a guided-missile destroyer to “protect US interests and ensure freedom of navigation.”
The US move to the Middle East follows another naval deployment earlier this year. Washington is also considering the possibility of placing armed personnel on commercial vessels to deter Iranian seizures of vessels.
The arrival of more than 3,000 US troops in the Middle East comes days after Iran announced it had equipped the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy with drones and missiles with a range of up to 1,000 km.
Iran has repeatedly accused the US of deliberately escalating tensions through frequent military activities around the Persian Gulf.
According to KONG ANH/VTC.vn
Published at: 15:31, 08/08/2023
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