This came just a week after the Pentagon announced it would deploy more fighter jet squadron and destroyers to the Middle East in response to Iranās threats.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Aug. 11 ordered the deployment of the USS Georgia guided-missile submarine to the Middle East amid mounting tensions between Israel and Iran.
The Pentagon said that Austin gave the instruction after speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during which he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to ātake every possible stepā to defend Israel.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was already set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently deployed in the Middle East, but Austin asked to āaccelerate its transit,ā the Pentagon stated.
During their talk, Austin told Gallant that Washington was strengthening its military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in the wake of the āescalating regional tensions.ā
The two also discussed Israelās operations in Gaza, the importance of mitigating further civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire deal with Hamas and the release of hostages, as well as their efforts to deter the Iranian Islamic regimeās aggression.
US Warns Iran Against Escalation
Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department, said on Aug. 5 that Washington has urged Tehran through diplomatic channels not to escalate tensions in the Middle East, warning that doing so would go against the interests of Iran or anyone in the region.
He made the remarks following Secretary of State Antony Blinkenās discussion with Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani and Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty about tensions in the Middle East.
Miller said the United States had been communicating with all the relevant parties in the region to make clear āthat escalation is in no oneās interestā and āasking that people use their diplomatic relationships to make that clear to others in the region.ā
āI would expect that some of them would pass that message along and impress that point upon the government of Iran,ā he said.
Miller did not say definitively whether or not Washingtonās messages have been disseminated to Iran or through which channel. The United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980, coming after the Iranian takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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