Bombers & defences: US to deliver more military assets to Middle East
text_fields
Washington: The US has decided to deliver more military assets to Israel, including ballistic missile defence destroyers and long-range B-52 bomber aircraft. Agence France-Presse reported that the move is a part of the US's bid to warn Iran against escalations as the latter and Israel are trading strikes in a tit-for-tat mode.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement that should Iran, its partners or its proxies target American personnel or interests in the region, the US will take every necessary measure to defend its people.
There are additional resources built on previous US defence deployments to the Middle East in support of Israel. These include the THAAD missile defence system deployed late last month, which is operated by American troops on the ground.
Ryder said that the new deliveries will arrive in the coming months.
According to AFP, Israel launched significant strikes against Iran on October 26, imparting devastating destruction to the military infrastructure of the Islamic Republic, leaving out critical nuclear and oil sites.
This year, Iran had conducted two major attacks on Israel. The first one was in April after Israel bombed a consulate in Damascus, and the second one was in October, which was in response to the assassination of leaders of armed groups Iran backs in the Middle East.
According to observers, the continued military operations between the regional rivals are about to escalate further.
Israel had unleashed waves of deadly strikes across Gaza and northeast Lebanon, resulting in a combined death count of around 45 people.
Israel claimed that the bloodbath in Gaza was targeted strikes on Hamas infrastructure and a militant operating area of the central Nuseirat refugee camp. In Lebanon, its attack was a part of stepping up its offensive against Hezbollah.
The strike in Gaza's Nuseirat camp ended up in killing an 18-month-old and his 10-year-old sister among 25 others. When Israeli authorities did not comment on the overnight strikes at the Nuseirat refugee camp, they stated that it was aware of the reports of civilian casualties and were investigating.