Tensions remained high between Israel and Iran Monday as the Pentagon rushed submarines, planes and warships a top military officer to the region to head off a major conflict, according to U.S. officials.
The Middle East has been on edge since the recent assassinations of senior, Iranian-backed militant leaders in Beirut and Tehran. Iran’s top leaders have vowed to avenge the killings. Israel has not taken responsibility for the killing of a Hamas leader in Iran, but acknowled it killed the Hezbollah militant in Lebanon in an airstrike.
Gen. Erik Kurilla, who commands all U.S. forces in the Middle East, traveled to the region to shore up support among allies, according to a U.S. government official who was not authorized to speak publicly. In April, a U.S.-led coalition helped Israel thwart an attack by Iran with 300 missiles and drones.
It’s unclear how many Middle Eastern countries will be willing to help this time, the official said. Some don’t want to be seen as aiding Israel because of the war in Gaza, launched after the Hamas attack Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 Israelis. Some countries have pointed to protection of their own airspace as cover for allowing U.S. and allied forces to intercept missiles over their territory.
Late Friday, the Pentagon announced that it was dispatching more warships, submarines and fighter aircraft to the Middle East to support Israel and help protect the tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed there. F-22s, the most sophisticated warplane in the Air Force arsenal, have been sent to the region.
U.S. officials had worried Friday that at an attack by Iran was imminent, but that fear had subsided a bit over the weekend.
