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Austin orders guided missile submarine to Middle East region

SecDef Lloyd Austin also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group ‘to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility.’

By Joshua Marks and Akiva Van Koningsveld, JNS

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Sunday and told him that ongoing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preparations suggest Tehran is readying for another large-scale attack, said a source with knowledge of the call.

During the call with Gallant, Austin reiterated Washington’s pledge “to take every possible step to defend Israel,” a Pentagon readout stated.

Austin also noted “the strengthening of U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions,” including the deployment of a guided missile submarine.

The USS Georgia, an Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine, was reported to be in the Mediterranean Sea last month. It is a rare move for the United States to publicly announce a submarine’s movement.

Austin also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group “to accelerate its transit to the Central Command area of responsibility, adding to the capabilities already provided by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group,” the Pentagon announced.

The expedited arrival follows the deployment of U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets, which reached the area of U.S. Central Command—the geographic command responsible for the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia—on Thursday.

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According to Gallant’s office, the minister “detailed IDF readiness and capabilities in the face of threats posed by Iran and its regional proxies, and discussed interoperability with the wide range of U.S. military capabilities deployed to the region.”

“Minister Gallant highlighted the urgency of achieving an agreement for the release of hostages and thanked the U.S. administration for its leadership and commitment to this issue.”

Iran’s unprecedented April 13 attack, which involved more than 300 missiles and explosive drones fired directly at the Jewish state, was largely thwarted, with the Israel Defense Forces and a coalition of international military allies shooting down most of the projectiles.

Sources close to Iran and Hezbollah have said that the expected attack will involve Tehran’s “Axis of Resistance,” which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Yemen’s Houthis and other terrorist groups.