Sao Paulo
In a military escalation not seen in the Middle East for years, the United States decided to change its tactics to pressure Iran not to interfere in the war Israel is waging against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a more general statement on strengthening war materiel in the region, the Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday (22) that the second group of aircraft carriers deployed to the conflict area would no longer respond to the European command of the US Armed Forces and would go into the the responsibility of the central command.
This is not just bureaucracy: This means that the group from the nuclearpowered aircraft carrier USS Dwight Eisenhower will not be stationed alongside the group from the USS Gerald Ford, which is already in the region near the Israeli coast in the Mediterranean a European Command area .
It will cross the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and it remains to be seen where it will be based. According to military observers, the US’s preferred operating area on previous occasions when it wanted to signal its presence to Iran was the Gulf of Oman at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
In addition, the Red Sea is particularly tense for Americans because last week the destroyer USS Carney shot down at least three cruise missiles and 12 drones launched by Iranianallied Houthi militias from the coast of Yemen toward Israel.
Even the Eisenhower’s passage through the region will not be without risk, despite her large defensive firepower and her combat escort consisting of a cruiser and three destroyers, as well as a support ship and a possible nuclear submarine.
According to open navigation data, the attack group was in the middle of the Atlantic on Monday (23). It should arrive in the Israeli region in perhaps two weeks.
Aircraft carriers, of which Washington has the largest fleet in the world at 11, are the greatest expression of U.S. military power projection. They carry dozens of aircraft, 55 of which are typically combat aircraft, more than most of the world’s air forces. In addition, its typical escort carries around 800 missiles, including landattack cruise missiles and antiship missiles.
President Joe Biden said last week that the goal of the military movement was to contain Iran, which supports Hamas and especially Hezbollah. An ally of the Palestinians, the Lebanese group has been in the midst of daily skirmishes with Israel during the war in the north of the country, but has not entered the conflict in full force, despite leaders’ rhetoric.
One of them, deputy chief Naim Qassem, said on Tuesday (24) that Hezbollah would be “at the heart of the defense of the Gaza Strip” if and when the Israelis fulfill their promise to defend the area “by land, sea and and air route”. as Minister Yoav Gallant (Defence) said the day before.
The “timing” of the operation has divided Israeli politicians and their American supporters, who fear the more than 200 hostages in the hands of Hamas and, above all, the risk of a regional escalation of very harsh actions. The latest reminder of restraint came from former President Barack Obama, for whom Biden served as vice president for eight years.
Meanwhile, the Americans are being accused by archrival Russia of unnecessarily escalating tensions in the region. Vladimir Putin, an ally of Iran with interests and military bases in Syria, which is also hostile to Israel, has even deployed aircraft carrying hypersonic missiles that can hit American patrol ships, although no one expects any real action.
In the conflict between the United States and Iran, the risk of something spiraling out of control is much greater, even as Tehran insists that only its allies are attacking Israel. Two American bases in Syria were hit by drones on Monday with no casualties, and the White House accused the Iranians of “facilitating” the action a far cry from direct responsibility.
For now, in addition to the aircraft carriers, the Americans have sent F15 and F16 fighter jets as well as A10 fighter jets, the “flying tanks” of their air force, to their bases. The constant presence of four US aerial refueling aircraft on routes from Italy to the Middle East in recent days suggests the redeployment is underway.
Washington will also loan the Patriot and Thaad highaltitude air defense systems for use in Israel. The move likely displeased Ukraine, which struggled to obtain some Patriot batteries in its war against Russian invasion and never received anything like the Thaad.
All of these movements take place in the middle of the most important nuclear attack simulation exercise organized by NATO (USled military alliance), Steadfast Noon, every year. It began last week and ends on Thursday (26) after involving 60 aircraft from 13 countries, including B52 bombers and F35 fighters capable of using nuclear weapons.
NATO stressed that the exercise was routine and had nothing to do with the ongoing wars, particularly the war in Ukraine, in which Russia, a nuclear power, was involved. Coincidentally, however, it is being carried out in the Mediterranean region near Italy and Croatia, not far from the Middle East operational area.