World News | Pentagon Has Ordered a US Aircraft Carrier to Remain in the Mediterranean Near Israel
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and one other warship to remain in the Mediterranean Sea for several more weeks to maintain a two-carrier presence near Israel as its war with Hamas grinds on, US officials said.
Washington, Dec 16 (AP) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and one other warship to remain in the Mediterranean Sea for several more weeks to maintain a two-carrier presence near Israel as its war with Hamas grinds on, US officials said.
It would be the third time the Ford's deployment has been extended, underscoring the continued concerns about volatility in the region during Israel's war in Gaza. The US has two aircraft carriers in the region, a rarity in recent years.
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Multiple US officials confirmed the longer deployments approved this week for the Ford and the USS Normandy cruiser on condition of anonymity because they have not yet been made public. Other ships in the Ford's strike group had already had their deployments extended.
The Pentagon ramped up its military presence in the region after Hamas' October 7 attacks to deter Iran from widening the war into a regional conflict. In the months since, Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria have seized on the war to conduct regular attacks with rockets, drones and missiles on US military installations there. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)