The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and accompanying destroyers have arrived in the Middle East, the US military said.
The carrier's arrival brings to two the number deployed in the region - at least temporarily, as the Lincoln is due to replace the Theodore Roosevelt - at a time of heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.
"Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, has entered the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility," the Middle East Command said on social media.
Abraham Lincoln, flagship of the 3rd Strike Group, is escorted by the Destroyer Squadron 21 (DESRON) and the 9th Carrier Air Wing (CVW).
On August 11, the Pentagon announced that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had asked the Lincoln to "accelerate its transit" to the Middle East after ordering it to be deployed to the region earlier this month.
Fears of a major escalation grew after the terrorist group Hezbollah and Iran vowed to respond to the killings of influential figures blamed on Israel late last month.
An Israeli strike on the southern outskirts of Beirut eliminated senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, shortly before an attack in Tehran that Israel claimed killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. | BGNES
