US deploys jets and warships as Iran threatens Israel
The United States will deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help defend Israel from potential attacks by Iran and its proxies, the Pentagon announced.
Tensions remain high in the region following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and a key commander of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Missile defense forces have been placed on increased readiness to deploy, with the Pentagon emphasizing its “ironclad” commitment to defend Israel.
Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has vowed “harsh punishment” against Israel for Haniyeh’s assassination and declared three days of national mourning.
Haniyeh, 62, widely considered Hamas’s overall leader, was killed in Tehran on Wednesday. Iran and its proxy in Gaza have blamed the attack on Israel, which has not commented.
Haniyeh played a crucial role in negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. His death came just hours after Israel claimed responsibility for killing Fuad Shukr, the top military commander of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Pentagon stated that the new deployments would “improve US force protection, increase support for the defense of Israel, and ensure the US is prepared to respond to various contingencies.” The deployments will include additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers.
The US military had already intensified deployments before April 13, when Iran launched an attack on Israel with drones and missiles. Israel and its allies intercepted almost all of the roughly 300 drones and missiles fired.
While Israel has not commented directly on Haniyeh’s assassination, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country had delivered “crushing blows” to its enemies in recent days, including the killing of Shukr in Beirut.
He warned Israelis that “challenging days lie ahead… we have heard threats from all sides. We are prepared for any scenario”.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said the US did not believe escalation was 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.
An Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo in coming days for negotiations to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, Mr Netanyahu said on Friday.
Hamas sparked the war with its 7 October attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people. Israel responded with an ongoing military operation in Gaza that has killed almost 40,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
