The United States may deploy a second aircraft carrier near Israel, US Defense officials said, following an escalation in US military efforts to deter regional powers from joining the war between Hamas and Israel.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its escort ships were scheduled months ago to sail this week for the Middle East. They are expected to arrive in the Middle East in about two weeks, defense officials said.
It all comes after statements that from Israel's border countries, there may be other incursions in support of Hamas. Yemen's Houthi leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, says that if the US intervenes directly in Gaza, it will respond by launching military operations, including drone and missile fire. Al Houthi said "there are red lines when it comes to Gaza" and added that they were ready to coordinate with other groups.
On the other hand, the Iraqi politician, Hadi al-Amiri, has threatened to target the interests of the United States if Washington intervenes to support Israel in its war in Gaza. "If the Americans openly intervene in this conflict, we will consider all American objectives legitimate and will not hesitate to target them," al-Amiri said during a rally in Baghdad.
Al-Amir's comments come after the US announced on Sunday that it would provide additional munitions to Israel and that it was moving a carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Al-Amiri heads the Badr Organization, which includes a large part of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state paramilitary organization that contains many Iranian-backed groups.
This Tuesday the United States began shipping critically needed ammunition and military equipment to Israel. This, as the Pentagon reviews its inventories to see what else can be sent quickly to boost its ally in the four-day war with Hamas. The news was announced by the American agency "Associated Press".
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, confirmed Monday evening that the first batch of military aid in the wake of the violent attack by Hamas militants "is on its way" to Israel.