August 3, 2024

The Pentagon has announced plans to deploy additional combat aircraft and missile-equipped warships to the Middle East, anticipating potential Iranian retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Chinese analysts said Saturday that an open Israel-Iran conflict is not in Washington's interest, yet the US has failed to impose substantial restraints on the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, which have dangerously escalated tensions.

Following the US President Joe Biden's Thursday commitment to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about "new defensive US military deployments" to the region, the US has decided to send an additional fighter squadron and more warships to the Middle East to help defend Israel should Iran react militarily to this week's assassination of Hamas' top political leader in Tehran which Iran has blamed on Israel, US media reported on Saturday.

The US will also maintain an aircraft carrier presence in the Middle East as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt that was on a short-term deployment to the Middle East, per ABC news.

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