America sends aircraft carrier to Middle East as a ‘warning’ to Iran

The US is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following “clear indications” that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack American forces in the region.

At the White House, national security adviser John Bolton said America was deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the US Central Command region – an area that includes the Middle East.

In a statement, he said the move was in response to“a number of troubling and escalator y indications and warnings”, but did not provide more details.

US forces at sea and on land were thought to be the potential targets. The Pentagon approved the deployments in response to those indications, according to an unnamed defence official.

The Abraham Lincoln and its strike group of ships and combat aircraft have been operating in the Mediterranean Sea recently.

Mr Bolton’ s reference to the Central Command area would mean the Lincoln is headed east to the Red Sea and perhaps then to the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf, which would take several days. The US Navy currently has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.

Mr Bolton said the US wanted to send a message that “unrelenting force” will meet any attack on American interests or those of its allies.

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or regular Iranian forces,” he said.

Along with the Lincoln, Mr Bolton mentioned “a bomber taskforce”, which suggested the Pentagon was deploying land-based bomber aircraft somewhere in the region, perhaps on the Arabian Peninsula.

Speaking to reporters while flying to Europe, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the actions undertaken by the US had been in the works for a little while.

“It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalator y actions from the Iranians and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests,” Mr Pompeo said. “If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.”

Asked about“es ca la tory actions”, Mr Pompeo replied: “I don’ t want to talk about what underlays it, but make no mistake, we have good reason to want to communicate clearly about how the Iranians should understand how we will respond to actions they may take.”