Amid Tensions Between Iran and Israel, the U.S. Announces Deployment of Submarine in the Middle East

As the likelihood of a military attack by Iran and its allies on Israel increases in retaliation for the killing of the leader of the extremist group Hamas and a senior commander of Hezbollah, the Pentagon announced that Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has ordered the deployment of a missile-capable submarine in the Middle East. Reuters reports that although the nuclear submarine USS Georgia has been in the Mediterranean since July, it is rare for the Pentagon to publicly announce its deployment in the region. In a statement released after a conversation between Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart, the Pentagon said that Mr. Austin has instructed the Abraham Lincoln strike group to expedite its deployment in the area. The statement adds that the U.S. Secretary of Defense emphasized Washington's commitment to taking all possible actions to defend Israel and referred to the capabilities and positioning of U.S. military forces throughout the Middle East in light of escalating tensions in the region. Biden once again warned Tehran; Jordan warned Iran and Israel about its airspace. The U.S. military had previously announced that it would deploy more fighter jets and warships in the Middle East. Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the extremist group Hamas, who was in Iran for the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pezeshkian, was assassinated in Tehran on August 1. Iran has pointed the finger at Israel and promised revenge. Although Israel has neither confirmed nor denied this accusation, it has warned Iran that it will respond to any military attack. Axios reported on Sunday, August 21, citing two informed officials, that Israeli intelligence believes an Iranian attack on the country is likely to occur in the coming days. The report adds that Iran's retaliatory attack may even happen before August 15 (this Thursday) and the start of ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas mediated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. Yoav Galant warned on Sunday during a meeting with several Israeli forces about Iran and Hezbollah's intention to carry out unprecedented attacks in the coming days. He said, 'We hear from Iran and Hezbollah that they want to strike us in a way that has never happened before. Know this: anyone who harms us in a way that has not been done in the past will be struck in a way that we have not done before, and the Israeli army has great capabilities.' General Galant added, 'We hope they make the right calculations and do not force us to take actions that would cause significant harm and increase the likelihood of war on other fronts. We do not want this, but we must be prepared, and it may happen.' Daniel Hagari, spokesman for the Israeli army, informed the Israeli people on Sunday night in response to multiple reports circulating on social media and Israeli media about the imminent start of a potential direct military attack by Iran against Israel: 'At this stage, we have not made any changes to the command instructions of the rear command. The army forces are deployed at a high level of readiness while assessing the situation, and if there is a need to change the instructions, it will be communicated to the public through official channels.' According to Israeli army radio, Israeli intelligence assesses that the Islamic Republic has made extensive preparations for a large-scale attack but is waiting for definitive approval from Ali Khamenei, the leader of the regime.