U.S. Redeploys USS Lincoln From Pacific to Mideast in Order to Deter Iran

The U.S. Navy is building up its presence in the Middle East in order to head off potential threats from Iran, and has dispatched the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to join forces already located in the region. 

In a statement, the Pentagon said that USS Abraham Lincoln would be departing the Western Pacific and transiting to the 5th Fleet area of operations in order to relieve USS Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt just arrived to relieve USS Gerald R. Ford in early July, and she has only been on station for about three weeks.

In addition, the Department of Defense has ordered the deployment of extra cruisers and destroyers with a ballistic-missile defense capability into the region. 

These steps will help defend Israel against any Iranian-led retaliation after two high-profile Israeli assassination operations. The Israeli government opted to assassinate Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in a secure guest house in Tehran on July 31, angering Iranian leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Israeli Air Force also killed top Hezbollah military leader Fuad Shukr in a targeted airstrike in Beirut on July 30. 

Iran and its proxies - particularly Hezbollah - are expected to strike back at Israel with missile and drone attacks, and may attack in a coordinated manner, according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. The last large-scale Iranian attack on Israel occurred in April, and it was telegraphed well in advance; while the strike was massive in scale with hundreds of drones and missiles, a well-prepared defense effort helped Israel avert any damage. This time, analysts say, it is less clear that Iran will give any early warning.