An unexpected statement from the American military reveals the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in the Middle East.

This deployment is likely intended as a deterrent to regional adversaries, with Iran warning that the U.S. will face severe consequences in the absence of a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Our advice to the Americans is to immediately stop the war in Gaza and implement a ceasefire, otherwise they will be hit hard,” Minister of Defence Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said, Reuters reported.

According to a statement from US Central Command on Sunday, an Ohio-class submarine is entering its designated area of responsibility, coinciding with Israel entering its 31st day of conflict, the Daily Sun reported.

As reported by CNN, a social media post seemed to depict the submarine’s presence in the Suez Canal, situated to the northeast of Cairo.

“On November 5, 2023, an Ohio-class submarine arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

The geographical scope of Central Command encompasses the Middle East region.

Although the specific submarine was not identified in the post, it’s worth noting that the US Navy operates four Ohio-class guided missile submarines (SSGNs).

These vessels were originally designed for ballistic missiles but were converted to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, replacing their nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

The Israeli military expressed its approval of the deployment of the U.S. nuclear submarine, characterizing it as a stabilizing presence for the Middle East.

Written by B.C. Begley