Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia dispatched from the Mediterranean to the Middle East in anticipation of an imminent attack by Iran, the Pentagon announced.
Austin has also ordered the stepped-up arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to the region as forces prepare for Iran's response to the killing last month of the top military commander of Hezbollah and its political leader in Tehran by widely suspected Israeli assassins.
The news came in a Pentagon-provided readout of a call Sunday between Austin and Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Austin "reiterated the United States' commitment to take every possible step to defend Israel and noted the strengthening of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions," the Pentagon statement noted.
Austin and Gallant also discussed Israel's operations in Gaza and the "importance of mitigating civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza," according to the Pentagon.
Israel reported Sunday that some 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon. Hezbollah said overnight that the rockets were in support of "steadfast Palestinian people" in Gaza and in retaliation to Israel's strikes in southern Lebanon, CNN reported.
