NewsRescue
The US Navy announced on Monday that one of its nuclear-powered Ohio-class submarines had arrived in the Middle East’s Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
According to Bloomberg, the ship in question is the USS Florida, which can carry up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles or 66 Navy SEAL special operations forces for covert operations.
Four Ohio-class submarines were converted to carry cruise missiles rather than intercontinental ballistic missiles, with two on each coast of the United States. According to the news outlet, the deployment was intended as a “show of force” to Iran, citing unnamed US defence officials.
The CENCOM announcement included a photo of a submarine apparently heading towards the Al Salam Bridge, which crosses the Suez Canal. It’s extremely rare for the Pentagon to report the deployments of nuclear-propelled submarines, unless they make a port call.
Two US carrier strike groups are on a mission in the eastern Mediterranean when the additional military asset arrived. The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower was billed as a deterrence measure by Washington in the midst of Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza.
The IDF besieged the Palestinian enclave shortly after last month’s deadly Hamas attack, which killed over 1,000 people and took hundreds more hostage. West Jerusalem has declared the annihilation of the responsible organisation to be an existential goal.
Critics argue that the response is disproportionate, citing the high civilian casualty rate from IDF airstrikes. According to Gaza officials, these have claimed the lives of over 10,000 people.
There are concerns that other regional players, including the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah and Iran, may enter the conflict in a major way. The US leadership has pledged to stand with Israel, including by providing additional military aid for its Gaza campaign.
