WASHINGTON — The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has arrived in the Middle East following a recent order from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday.

"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, has entered the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility,” CENTCOM announced on X.

The flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, the USS Abraham Lincoln, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9.

This deployment follows the Pentagon's earlier decision to bolster military assets in the Middle East in anticipation of potential retaliation by Iran against Israel. Secretary Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area, adding to the existing capabilities provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group. The deployment also includes the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine.

These moves come in response to escalating tensions in the region, particularly following the assassination of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31 and the Israeli airstrike that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on July 30. Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of these actions, though Israel has not confirmed its involvement. Iran has vowed "harsh punishment" in retaliation for the killing of Haniyeh on its soil.

The escalation is part of a broader context of ongoing conflict, with Israel's offensive against the Gaza Strip resulting in the deaths of over 40,170 Palestinians since an attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,139 Israelis. — Agencies