In a statement on Saturday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that the Pentagon has directed the deployment of a second carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean Sea and is dispatching Air Force fighter jets to the region.

This decision comes as Israel prepares to expand its operations in Gaza.

It’s important to note that the US warships are not intended to engage in the conflict in Gaza or take part in Israel’s operations.

Instead, the presence of these two formidable Navy vessels serves as a deterrent message to Iran and Iranian proxies in the region, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, CNN reported.

These strategic movements are part of a broader effort to discourage hostile actions against Israel and prevent any escalation of the conflict that arose after Hamas’s attack on Israel, according to Austin’s statement.

The initial carrier strike group, led by the USS Gerald R. Ford, arrived off the coast of Israel the previous week.

Now, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower strike group, which departed from Norfolk, Virginia on Friday, is en route to the eastern Mediterranean.

Initially scheduled to head to the waters under the jurisdiction of the US European Command, it remains unclear how long the USS Gerald R. Ford will remain in the region once the Eisenhower carrier strike group arrives, as reported by a US defense official to CNN.

The Eisenhower, serving as the flagship of the carrier strike group, will be accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two guided-missile destroyers, as indicated in Austin’s statement.

The USS Eisenhower has the capacity to carry over 60 aircraft, including F/A-18 fighter jets, while the USS Gerald R. Ford can deploy more than 75 aircraft.

ABC News was the first to report on the orders for the carrier strike group’s deployment.

Written by staff