The United States is amassing a war machine in the Middle East in a clear message to Iran to stay on the sidelines as Israel prepares to launch a ground invasion into Gaza to destroy the terror group Hamas.
Within hours of the horrific onslaught on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 the U.S. began moving warships, jets and special forces to the region.
Two aircraft carriers including the world's largest - the USS Gerald R. Ford - have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, along with scores of planes that could carry out air strikes.
Many more aircraft, including F-15 and F-16 fighter jet squadrons, have been dispatched to US military bases in the region, doubling the number available in the Persian Gulf.
Flight units that were due to come home soon have been told to stay.
Around 2,000 U.S. Marines trained in special operations and amphibious landings have also been redirected from an exercise in Kuwait, and are now on board two warships somewhere off the coast of Bahrain.
The Pentagon is also preparing an additional 2,000 Army and Air Force personnel as a potential rapid response force.
It reflects concern in Washington that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist group, or Iran itself, could escalate the crisis into an even more devastating regional conflict.
The main aim of the U.S. military ramp up is to deter Iran and its proxies from making any aggressive move.
The USS Gerald R. Ford had just completed an exercise with the Italian Navy before being ordered on its latest mission.
It has a crew of 5,000 and carries 90 warplanes - including F-18 Super Hornet jets, F-35 strike fighters and A-10 tank busters.
The carrier, which has a nuclear reactor, is replete with an arsenal of weapons like Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is used to fire armor piercing bullets.
Five support ships, including destroyers, are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and prevision laser-guided bombs, surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine weapons.
A second aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in about a week, also accompanied by four other warships.
The carrier, also known as the 'Ike,' has 5,000 sailors and can bring up to nine squadrons of aircraft including fighter jets and helicopters.
Its E2-Hawkeye spy planes will be able to provide early warnings of any enemy missile launches, conduct surveillance, and detect Iranian aircraft.
The aircraft carriers can also be used as bases from which to conduct information warfare.
Much of the U.S. operation would be expected to be coordinated from the Forward HQ of U.S. Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East.
Around 2,000 U.S. Marines trained in special operations and amphibious landings have also been redirected from an exercise in Kuwait, and are now on board two warships somewhere off the coast of Bahrain.
The Pentagon is also preparing an additional 2,000 Army and Air Force personnel as a potential rapid response force.
It reflects concern in Washington that Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist group, or Iran itself, could escalate the crisis into an even more devastating regional conflict.
The main aim of the U.S. military ramp up is to deter Iran and its proxies from making any aggressive move.
The USS Gerald R. Ford had just completed an exercise with the Italian Navy before being ordered on its latest mission.
It has a crew of 5,000 and carries 90 warplanes - including F-18 Super Hornet jets, F-35 strike fighters and A-10 tank busters.
The carrier, which has a nuclear reactor, is replete with an arsenal of weapons like Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is used to fire armor piercing bullets.
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