National Security Adviser John Kirby announced that the U.S. is bracing for potential “significant” attacks by Iran or its proxies in the Middle East, possibly occurring as early as this week. In response, the U.S. has bolstered its military presence in the region, a move Kirby described as aimed at deterring Iranian aggression and de-escalating tensions.
The U.S. enhancements include the deployment of additional troops and sophisticated military equipment. Notably, the guided missile submarine USS Georgia, equipped with 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, has been dispatched, alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group which is currently in the South China Sea but will be expedited to the Middle East. The Lincoln strike group, along with F-35 squadrons aboard, adds considerable offensive capabilities to U.S. forces already positioned.
These deployments are part of a broader U.S. strategy to strengthen its force posture in response to recent tensions heightened by the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran, which Iran and Hamas attribute to Israel. This incident has escalated regional tensions significantly, prompting fears of retaliatory actions from Iran.
On the diplomatic front, U.S. officials are actively engaging in talks aimed at mitigating the conflict.
“We continue to work diplomatically to prevent any major escalation in this conflict,” Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, said. “We obviously don’t want to see any kind of attack or response happen in the first place.”
Moreover, the U.S. remains “cautiously optimistic” that Iran will restrain its retaliatory actions, emphasizing the importance of upcoming cease-fire deal discussions led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar.
However, on Sunday, Aug. 11, Hamas announced it would not join the upcoming round of negotiations, raising serious concerns about the likelihood of these talks proceeding.
