The Pentagon has announced that the US will send additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defense against potential threats from Iran and its allies.
Tensions are high in the region following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a senior Hezbollah commander.
The Pentagon has put missile defense forces on heightened alert and reaffirmed its “ironclad” commitment to defending Israel.
Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei has promised severe retaliation against Israel for Haniyeh’s death. The Hamas leader was killed in Tehran on Wednesday, with Iran and its Gaza allies blaming Israel for the attack, though Israel has not responded.
Haniyeh, 62, was a prominent Hamas leader involved in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. His death followed Israel’s claim of killing Fuad Shukr, the top military commander of Hezbollah.
The Pentagon stated that the new deployments are intended to “enhance US force protection, increase support for Israel’s defense, and ensure readiness for various contingencies.”
This will include additional cruisers and destroyers equipped with ballistic missile defense systems.
High alert
On Tel Aviv’s seafront, the atmosphere seems calm with sunbathers relaxing under beach umbrellas. However, the Middle East is on the brink of a full-scale war.
Israel is on high alert, with several international airlines suspending flights to the country. Israeli ministers have been given satellite phones to ensure communication in case of infrastructure attacks.
On Saturday, Israeli forces killed a Hamas operative in the West Bank. In the past 24 hours, airstrikes on Gaza reportedly killed dozens of Palestinians, highlighting the ongoing conflict even as diplomats work to prevent further escalation.
The US military has increased its deployments, recalling the previous escalation on April 13, when Iran launched a drone and missile attack on Israel. Israel and its allies intercepted almost all of the approximately 300 projectiles fired.
While Israel has not commented directly on Haniyeh’s death, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country has delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies recently, including the killing of Fuad Shukr in Beirut. He warned of “challenging days ahead” and emphasized readiness for any scenario.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh noted that the US does not believe that escalation is inevitable.
“I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don’t want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off-ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal,” Singh said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that an Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo in the coming days for negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.
The conflict began with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths.
In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza, leading to nearly 40,000 casualties, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Details surrounding Haniyeh’s death remain unclear. The Daily Telegraph reported that Iranian agents, allegedly hired by Israel’s Mossad, planted bombs in a guesthouse where Haniyeh was staying. The bombs were reportedly detonated remotely.
The New York Times earlier suggested that the explosives were smuggled into the building two months before. The BBC has not been able to verify these reports.
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