The U.S. shored up naval and air forces in the Middle East to help Israel fend off any major attack from Iran, ahead of a resumption of Gaza cease-fire talks planned for later this week.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, equipped with F-35C fighters, and the USS Georgia guided-missile submarine to accelerate their passage to the region, according to a readout from a call with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Sunday.
The move bolsters the defenses of Israel, which has been braced for an assault from Iran or its allied proxy militia groups since back-to-back assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas officials in Beirut and Tehran almost two weeks ago.
Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, reiterated the country’s determination to punish Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in particular, and Washington is keen to avoid a major flare up three months before a presidential election. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.
Fresh talks
The U.S., Qatar and Egypt last week called for a new round of Gaza cease-fire talks on Aug. 15, an effort to resolve long-deadlocked negotiations between Israel and Hamas more than 10 months into their war. Hamas has pushed back against the proposal, saying discussions should center on implementing previous plans.
France, Germany and the U.K. endorsed the plan for talks on…
