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An F-35C flies above the USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 9.
The Pentagon has now surged its two fifth-generation fighters to the Middle East as it awaits an attack from Iran targeting Israel and potentially U.S. troops—one that the White House says is “increasingly likely.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Aug. 11 ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to accelerate its deployment to the region, joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Lincoln is carrying F-35Cs, according to U.S. Central Command. Austin also ordered the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the region.
The F-35Cs will arrive to a region where the U.S. Air Force has already deployed its F-22 Raptors to an undisclosed base.
John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications advisor, told reporters Aug. 12 that the potential response by Iran is growing increasingly likely. Iran is expected to target Israel along with potentially U.S. operating bases in the region in response to the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. If Iran does respond, it is likely to look similar to the April 13, 2024, attack on Israeli bases involving hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles—almost all of which were downed by Israel and the U.S., along with Jordan, France and the UK.
Kirby says the attack could come this week. The White House is “continuing to watch very, very closely and it is difficult to at this particular time, if there is an attack … what that could look like,” he says. “We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks.”
Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Aug. 11, detailing the new deployments in addition to urging Israel to limit civilian harm in Gaza.
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