Latest news with #Nimitz
Gulf Insider
2 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Will Arrive In Mideast Waters This Weekend
The USS Nimitz carrier strike group is en route to Middle East waters and is expected to arrive this weekend, a US official tells Fox news on Friday, after the carrier departed the South China Sea on Monday. This is the latest confirmation that the US Navy will now have two aircraft carriers in the Middle East at the same time. While reports previewed this movement earlier this week, making it no surprise, this is the first revelation of a more precise timeline. As for the prior reporting via military sources, Stars & Stripes stated, 'The aircraft carrier and its strike group left Bremerton, Wash., in March for the Indo-Pacific region for what is expected to be the ship's final deployment. Now, the Nimitz and the warships sailing with it will join the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Middle East, the defense official said. Currently, the USSCarl Vinson is already positioned in the Arabian Sea, while the Navy has also lately confirmed deployment of the carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the Mediterranean, presumably as 'back-up' – though that mission had long been shechuled. As for the Nimitz, itsis currently underway westbound from the Strait of Malacca. So this will place in total three carriers within reach of the Middle East theatre of operations. Stars & Stripes has recently offered the following background on the last week of the Iran-Israel aerial war: Each carrier strike group typically brings with it one attack submarine, one cruiser and two or more destroyers, in addition to an air wing of F/A-18 Super Hornets and (on some carriers) F-35 Lightning strike fighters. The overall package delivers a powerful land-attack punch, but also enhances regional air defense with a combination of anti-aircraft, anti-drone and anti-ballistic-missile capabilities. Two destroyers operating in Central Command have already been involved in defeating Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel over the past week, a Navy official told Norfolk's WAVY. USS The Sullivans and USS Arleigh Burke both expended interceptors over the weekend to shoot down Iranian attacks, the official confirmed. President Trump conveyed via the White House Press Secretary on Thursday afternoon that he will make a decision on striking Iran within the next two weeks. Trump words and 'warning' to Tehran were as follows: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.'
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
🔴 LIVE UPDATES: Israel, Iran continue to trade strikes as European diplomacy yields no breakthrough - Region
Israel and Iran exchanged fresh attacks early Saturday, marking the ninth consecutive day of hostilities since Israel launched strikes on 13 June. Around 2.30am local time, Israel's military reported an incoming missile barrage from Iran, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Explosions were heard over central Israel as air defences responded. An Israeli military official said five ballistic missiles were fired, with no reports of casualties or impacts, according to the Guardian. Overnight, Israel said it targeted Iranian missile storage and launch infrastructure. The military claimed 'very significant' results, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told German newspaper Bild that the strikes had delayed Iran's nuclear capabilities by two to three years. Iran, which says its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes, rejected calls for 'zero enrichment' as long as Israeli attacks persisted. A senior official told Reuters Tehran remained open to talks on enrichment limits if its right to peaceful nuclear development was recognised. Since Israel launched attacks, Israeli bombing has killed at least 639 people and wounded 1,326, according to Iranian media, while Iranian missiles have killed at least 25 people and wounded hundreds in Israel, the Guardian reported. The UN Security Council convened an emergency session Friday at Iran's request. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the world was 'racing toward' a major crisis and urged urgent dialogue. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reported damage to four buildings at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site and warned a strike on the Bushehr plant could cause a serious radioactive release. Meanwhile, the Pentagon confirmed the Nimitz carrier strike group is being deployed to the region. The USS Carl Vinson remains in the Middle East, while the USS Gerald R. Ford is scheduled to depart for Europe on 24 June. US President Donald Trump publicly rebuked intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard for saying there was no evidence Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapon. Gabbard later said her comments were taken out of context.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Major U.S. Middle East-Focused Buildup Confirmed (Updated)
The U.S. Navy is sending the supercarrier USS Nimitz and the rest of its strike group to the Middle East amid a new buildup of forces in the region ostensibly for defensive purposes, U.S. officials have told TWZ. Overnight, dozens of U.S. Air Force KC-135R and KC-46A tankers had already been tracked heading east over the Atlantic Ocean. That has prompted speculation about the potential start of a major contingency operation, possibly around a shift in U.S. policy toward the ongoing Israel-Iran war, as you can read about in more detail here. U.S. air, naval, and ground forces have already been aiding in the defense of Israel since the start of the current hostilities last week. Readers can first get up to speed on the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran in our reporting here. Though currently sailing in the Western Pacific, 'the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is heading to the Middle East without delay,' a U.S. official told TWZ. The U.S. official added that this is a scheduled deployment to replace the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group, which is currently on station in the Middle East. However, they would not say when Vinson might now be expected to leave the region. USS Nimitz is about to transit Malacca Strait, likely heading to CENTCOM AOR. — Duan Dang (@duandang) June 16, 2025 Fox News has separately reported that the decision to send Nimitz to the Middle East, though previously planned, has been accelerated by multiple months, and that it and Vinson will be in the region together for at least a period of time. In addition to the carrier and its air wing, Nimitz's strike group is currently known to include four Arleigh Burke class destroyers. At least one fast attack submarine also typically accompanies Navy carriers on deployments. CONFIRMED: The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group is on its way to the Middle East from the South China Sea, a U.S. official tells Fox News. The Nimitz was previously scheduled to replace the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group which has been deployed for several months,… — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) June 16, 2025 When asked, a second U.S. official could not comment specifically on the recent movement of KC-135R and KC-46A tankers, but told TWZ that 'additional defensive forces are moving to the region to provide flexible options for leadership.' They declined to elaborate on the exact composition of those forces. Other reports have linked the flights directly to this 'defensive' buildup. A U.S. official confirms to me a wave of tanker flights across the Atlantic in the last 24 hours, in part to have resources closer to the Middle East and provide options to defend U.S. assets and interests. — Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) June 16, 2025 Both U.S. officials spoke to TWZ on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. The Air Force's Air Mobility Command (AMC), which oversees the bulk of the service's tanker and airlifter fleets, declined to comment in response to queries from TWZ, citing operational security concerns. We have also reached out to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), and the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) headquarters for more information. CENTCOM directed us to contact the White House, which we have also done. Just having an additional aircraft carrier strike group in the region will offer an important boost in available defensive and offensive capacity to U.S. commanders. As part of any regional contingency operation, Nimitz's air wing could be tasked with helping to intercept aerial threats, including drones and cruise missiles, as well as striking targets on land and at sea. Naval F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, like the F-35Cs currently embarked upon the USS Carl Vinson, are known to have shot down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen in recent months, something TWZ was first to report. The other ships in a carrier strike group offer significant air and missile defense capabilities, as well as their own ability to target enemy vessels and/or ground-based assets. Collectively, a carrier and its escorts can provide a wide array of other forms of valuable support, including in terms of surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as command and control and battle management. A senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told TWZ over the weekend that Aegis combat system-equipped ships, which would be Arleigh Burke class destroyers and/or Ticonderoga class cruisers, have already been helping to intercept missiles heading toward Israel since the current conflict erupted. There is also evidence of the use of SM-3-series anti-ballistic missile interceptors, which U.S. warships with Aegis systems specially configured to support the ballistic missile defense mission employ. The Third-Stage Rocket Motor for a U.S. Navy RIM-161 SM-3 Block lB Surface-to-Air Missile was apparently discovered yesterday in Iran, confirming that Arleigh Burke-Class Guided-Missile Destroyers with the U.S. Navy, likely stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean, are assisting in… — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 15, 2025 U.S. officials had previously told us that an additional Arleigh Burke, the USS Thomas Hudner, was moving into the Eastern Mediterranean in light of current events. Another destroyer of this type was also reportedly repositioned for a potential forward deployment to the region, if requested. Thomas Hudner is notably a BMD configured Arleigh Burke, which would bring additional SM-3s to the theater along with other munitions. U.S. stockpiles of SM-3s, in general, are relatively limited, and the Navy also currently has no operational way of re-loading vertical launch systems on warships like Arleigh Burke at sea. In terms of observed U.S. airpower movements, online flight tracking software shows that at least 32 Air Force tankers have now arrived at locations across Europe and the Middle East. It remains unclear whether any of the tankers were 'dragging' combat jets with them across the Atlantic. Good the addition of 4 tankers out of New Jersey, there are now at least 32 tankers observed in the overnight group. A considerable portion went to Morón Air Base in Spain, with others on to UK, Germany, Italy and 1 to Estonia. A few pressed on to CENTCOM AOR. — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 16, 2025 4 of the 32+ tankers that crossed the Atlantic overnight are still en route to their destinations. KC-46A Pegasus RCH026 and RCH027 are heading to the Pegasus convention at Ramstein, while KC-135s RCH032 and RCH033 join the party in Chania, Greece. — TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) June 16, 2025 Distribution map. Moron, Spain had the most at 11-12 tankers. — RivetJoint (@SpeckleBelly64) June 16, 2025 The aforementioned senior IDF official also told TWZ that U.S. fighter aircraft in the region have been taking part in defensive operations already. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles played key roles in defending Israel from incoming missile and drone attacks last year. F-15Es recently saw their counter-drone capabilities, in particular, significantly expand through the addition of laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets to their available arsenal. Air Force F-16s in the Middle East had already been using APKWS IIs to down drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen since last year, which we were first to report. From bases in Europe, the armada of aerial refueling aircraft would also be positioned to support long-range flights by cargo aircraft, movement of fighters, or even global airpower bombers, from the United States to the Middle East and back. TWZ has previously highlighted the potential role that the unique combination of Air Force B-2 bombers carrying 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs could play in procuring deeply buried Iranian facilities, including the nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo, should the U.S. government make the decision to join Israel's campaign on a kinetic level. Just moving additional ground-based air and missile defense assets, or replenishing stocks of interceptors for units already forward deployed, by air, also requires significant resources, as you can read more about here. U.S. Army Patriot surface-to-air missile systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ballistic missile defense systems in the Middle East are also among the assets already being employed in the defense of Israel. Third, Anniston. RCH313 is C-17A 07-7172 # — Evergreen Intel (@vcdgf555) June 16, 2025 Whether the new U.S. military buildup presages a new phase of American participation in the conflict remains to be seen. As TWZ noted when the armada of tankers first appeared heading east over the Atlantic, that movement is something one expects to see in a number of different contingency scenarios. Beyond increasing options for defending Israel, there remains the prospect that U.S. interests across the region come under more direct threat. Iran has notably reiterated long-standing threats to close the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz, though there are questions about its ability to and interest in doing so given the global ramifications of such action, as we recently explored in detail. Anti-ballistic missile defense, in particular, would be key to responding to any Iranian strikes aimed at bases hosting U.S. forces in the Middle East, as well as an attempt to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. Contingencies include: -opting to provide AR to IAF.-Joining the kinetic offensive fight (offensive) -Dealing countering an attempt to close the strait (defensive)-Providing BM left of launch interdiction/hunt (defensive) -Providing a robust bridge for global airpower bomber… — Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) June 16, 2025 Pressure also reportedly continues to build on U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration to enter the conflict more actively in support of Israel and its objectives. In particular, Israeli forces have significantly more options for attempting to neutralize deeply buried facilities in Iran, especially the Fordo enrichment plant. Knocking out Fordo is widely seen as essential for putting a real hold on Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons. Even just providing the Israeli Air Force (IAF) with U.S. aerial refueling support would give that country's ongoing campaign a major boost, as we have noted before. In the meantime, the scope of Israel's campaign against Iran is also steadily moving beyond its initial focus on nuclear targets. This has been driven in part by what Iran has targeted in Israel, including energy-related sites, in retaliation. Whether or not a major shift in U.S. policy toward the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict occurs, the U.S. military is now engaged in a major buildup of forces that could be poised to help with any future offensive, as well as defensive operations, in the Middle East.'Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility,' U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has now said in a statement. 'Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in there region.' — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) June 16, 2025'Consistent with the duty to protect U.S. forces in the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility to sustain our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel,' a U.S. defense official has now also told TWZ directly. ' In the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) AOR the U.S. Navy continues to conduct operations in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of U.S. national security objectives.' They also reiterated a previous statement that 'the U.S. is assisting in shooting down missiles targeting Israel on land and by sea.' Contact the author: joe@
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict
The USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week, a Navy official said Friday, placing a third American aircraft carrier in closer proximity to the Middle East as Israel and Iran trade strikes. Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel in the fight. 'The Gerald Ford carrier strike group will depart Norfolk (Virginia) the morning of June 24 for a regularly scheduled deployment to the US European Command area of responsibility,' the Navy official said. The US Carl Vinson carrier strike group has been operating in the Middle East since earlier this year, taking part in an air campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. And a US defense official has confirmed that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered the Nimitz carrier strike group to the Middle East, saying it was 'to sustain our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel.' Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel's strikes on Iran within the next two weeks, citing a chance of negotiations to end the conflict. That deadline comes after a tense few days in which the US president publicly mulled hitting Iran and said that Tehran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei was an 'easy target.' Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path toward a deal to replace the nuclear deal with Iran that he tore up in his first term in 2018, but has since backed Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and military top brass. A key issue is that the United States is the only country with the huge 'bunker buster' bombs that could destroy Iran's crucial Fordo nuclear enrichment plant. A number of key figures in his 'Make America Great Again' movement have vocally opposed US strikes on Iran, and Trump's promise to extract the United States from its 'forever wars' in the Middle East played a role in his 2016 and 2024 election wins.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's big headache? U.S faces mounting risk to 40,000 troops in Middle East as Iran threatens response
If the United States joins the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, the Pentagon would be confronting a major issue regarding the fate of more than 40,000 US soldiers already deployed around the Middle East along with other US citizens who live and work in the region, as per a report. US Troops in the Line of Fire The United States troops stationed in between bases from Bahrain to Syria would be the most vulnerable to counterattacks, which might involve Iranian ballistic missiles, drones or terrorism if the US joins Israel to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, reported USA Today. A US Defense official told USA Today that Iran can strike 'all of them,' as quoted in the report. The fear comes as even previously Iran had launched 13 ballistic missiles at US troops in Iraq in January 2020, wounding around 100 US troops, according to the report. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo ALSO READ: Shocking poll: Two-thirds of Americans believe Donald Trump has committed crimes Will United States Join the War? Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump did not dismiss the possibility of entering the ongoing war, as he said on Wednesday, 'I may do it. I may not do it," adding, "I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," quoted USA Today. Live Events Pentagon Moves to Protect Americans Abroad As per the report, in case the United States launches a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the potential weapon the US could use is the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bomb that can burrow deep into the earth before unleashing a huge explosion. With the aim to increase protection for Americans in the Middle East, the Pentagon has started shifting more firepower to the region this week, including the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group, which is expected to be arriving in a few days, according to USA Today. A US official in anonymity told USA Today that the added warplanes from the Nimitz and others in the region would be able to deliver a devastating response in Iran if they did attack US troops, as quoted in the report. FAQs How many US troops are at risk in the Middle East? Over 40,000 US soldiers are currently stationed at bases from Bahrain to Syria, as per USA Today report. Why are they in danger? If the US joins Israel in striking Iran's nuclear sites, Iran could retaliate against American troops using missiles, drones, or terror attacks, as per the report.
