BICOM

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a “clear and unmistakeable message to Iran,” National Security Adviser John Bolton said.

Bolton said that the administration was acting “in response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings.” He said the deployment is intended to signal to the Iranian regime: “That any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.” Bolton said the US is not seeking war with Iran but emphasised that the US is: “Fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or regular Iranian forces.”

The deployments are based on concerns of a possible attack on US forces stationed in the region. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters while on a visit to Europe: “It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians. If these actions take place, if they do by some third-party proxy, a militia group, Hezbollah, we will hold the Iranian leadership directly accountable for that.”

Barak Ravid, diplomatic correspondent for Israel’s Channel 13 news reported that the US move was partly in response to information about Iranian activity acquired by Israeli intelligence. According to Israeli officials, details of Iranian plots against the US and its allies were discussed in talks held recently at the White House between Israeli and US officials.

Ravid reported that Israeli intelligence officials said: “It is still unclear to us what the Iranians are trying to do and how they are planning to do it, but it is clear to us that the Iranian temperature is on the rise as a result of the growing US pressure campaign against them, and they are considering retaliating against US interests in the Gulf.”

The US recently announced an end to sanction waivers for countries buying Iranian oil and designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation. IRGC commanders recently threatened to close off the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.