A US submarine is in the Middle East with the aim of “deterring” any attempt to escalate the war between Israel and Hamas into a regional conflict, the US Defense Department said on Monday.
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Washington fears that the incessant Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas will push other Iran-aligned movements to intervene more deeply in the conflict.
The Ohio-class submarine is “now in the Fifth Fleet area of operations,” which includes the Gulf and Red Sea, Pentagon spokesman Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
It’s about strengthening American “deterrence efforts” in the region, he added, without giving further details.
The American Central Command posted a photo on Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, of the submarine visible crossing the Suez Canal in Egypt.
Some Ohio-class submarines are armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, while others are designed to carry more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
General Ryder did not specify which type of submarine is currently in the Middle East, but cruise missiles are considered more effective in the immediate event of an escalation of the conflict.
The new war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when the Palestinian Islamist movement in power in Gaza killed 1,400 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to that country’s authorities.
Since then, the Israeli army has continued to shell this narrow and densely populated area, causing more than 10,000 deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
In support of Israel, the United States has increased its military presence in the region.
American forces stationed in Iraq and Syria have faced an increase in attacks since mid-October that Washington attributes to Iranian-backed armed groups.