The United States Boosts Its Defense Capability In The Middle East

Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz United States. (Wikimedia Commons/US Pacific Fleet)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Monday he had ordered the deployment of additional defense capabilities to the Middle East, as the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran escalated regional tensions.

Israel launched airstrikes in Operation "Raising Lion" against targets of Iran's nuclear and military facilities on Friday morning last week.

Iran retaliated by carrying out retaliatory attacks on a number of targets in Israeli cities. Both of them are still attacking each other until Tuesday or the fifth day in a row.

"Protecting US troops is our top priority and this deployment is meant to improve our defense posture in the region," Defense Minister Hegseth said in a post on social media X.

Defense Minister Hegseth did not reveal what military capabilities he had sent to the region.

However, Reuters reported the deployment of large numbers of US military refueling aircraft and the movement of aircraft carriers to the Middle East, according to two US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the US carrier Nimitz was heading to the Middle East, in what one of them said was a previously planned deployment. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is known to be able to accommodate 5,000 personnel and more than 60 aircraft, including fighter jets.

Meanwhile, AirNav's system, the aviation tracking website, said more than 31 US Air Force refueling aircraft - mainly KC-135 and KC-46 - left the United States on Sunday, heading east.

US officials declined to comment on the number of aircraft. The Pentagon referred Reuters to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"The sudden placement of more than two dozen US Air Force tankers to the east is nothing common. This is a clear signal of strategic readiness," said Eric Schouten of Dyami Security Intelligence.

"Whether it's about supporting Israel, preparing for long-range operations, logistics are key, this move shows the US is positioning itself for rapid escalation if tensions with Iran expand," he continued.

Overall, the deployment shows the US strongly strengthens its air power for potentially sustainable operations as Iran and Israel attack each other in an unprecedented open war.

A third US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to comment on the tanker's movement, but stressed that US military activity in the region was defensive.

Another source familiar with the matter said the US had informed regional countries they were making defensive preparations and would switch to offensive operations if Iran attacked any US facilities.

The United States already has considerable power in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region, including air defense systems, warplanes, and warships that can help deliver missiles.