By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group arrived in the Middle East after a recent order from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday.
"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, entered the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility,” CENTCOM said on X.
"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9," it added.
The Pentagon announced earlier this month that the US will deploy additional military assets to the Middle East ahead of possible retaliation by Iran against Israel.
Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to accelerate transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to capabilities already provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.
Additionally, he ordered the USS Georgia (SSGN 729) guided missile submarine to the Central Command region.
The move came as tensions are running high in the Middle East following the July 31 assassination of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran and Israel's assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut on July 30.
Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied responsibility.
Iran has vowed "harsh punishment" for Israel for Haniyeh’s killing on Iranian soil.
The escalation comes amid an ongoing Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip which has killed more than 40,170 Palestinians following an attack on Oct. 7 last year by Hamas that killed 1,139 Israelis.