The presence of two of the US Navy's most powerful warships is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the warships are not intended to join the fighting in Gaza or take part in Israel's operations, but the presence of two of the Navy's most powerful vessels is designed to send a message of deterrence to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The first carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel last week. The Eisenhower, which is the flagship of the carrier strike group, will be joined by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, Austin said. "We take our national security interests very seriously in the region," he said, noting that the purpose of the bolstered force posture was "to act as a deterrent for any other actor, including Hezbollah, that might think that widening this conflict is a good idea."
"What I won't do is rule anything in or out when it comes to getting our hostages home," he said. "We're working on this literally by the hour." In addition, the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, a rapid reaction force capable of conducting special operations, is making preparations in case it is ordered closer to Israel to bolster the US' force posture there, multiple US officials told CNN.
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