Dhe US military has announced that it has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine to the Middle East due to rising tensions with Iran. This step should send a signal of strength. The USS Florida began transiting the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea on Friday. This was announced by the US Naval Forces Central Command, which is stationed in Bahrain on the Persian Gulf.
The USS Florida is used by the US Navy as a weapon in the fight against terrorism: the submarine enables covert operations by special forces. With its sophisticated technology, it can dive deeper and longer than other submarines while remaining undetected.
“Iran’s Malicious Behavior Has Increased”
The submarine will be deployed in support of the US Fifth Fleet, also based in Bahrain to “ensure regional maritime security and stability,” said Commander Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Naval Forces Central Command. Hawkins declined to provide further details about the mission and timeline, or whether the submarine is headed for the Arabian Gulf. It is extremely rare for the US military to disclose the movements of its nuclear-powered submarines.
The latest US effort comes in response to escalating attacks in recent months on US troops and their allies in Iraq and Syria. US commanders also warned about Iran’s enhanced missile capabilities and nuclear enrichment and the threat this posed to US and allied interests. Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. All of this is also happening against the backdrop of a looming escalation between Israel and Iran and amid important geopolitical shifts in the Middle East.
“Iran’s malicious behavior has increased over the past two years,” Gen. Michael Kurilla told the US Senate Armed Services Committee last month. He also went on to say that “Iran in 2023 is not Iran in 1983” and called Tehran “exponentially more capable” of attacking anywhere in the Middle East with “the region’s largest and most diverse missile arsenal.”
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