US Deploys Warships Near Israel

The Pentagon is moving two destroyers toward the Eastern Mediterranean as Israel braces for a retaliatory attack from Tehran after Friday’s airstrikes on Iranian military targets.

The ships, which are capable of defending against ballistic and cruise missile attacks, were already in the region and are rerouting, said two U.S. defense officials granted anonymity to discuss the situation.

They provide an extra layer of security for U.S. assets already in the Middle East and could help Israel beat back any Iranian missile attacks. U.S. ships played a similar role last October in defeating a massive Iranian ballistic and cruise missile attack on Israel.

The Pentagon moved some firepower to the Middle East during the spring bombing campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. It included at least two Patriot missile defense batteries from Asia and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense air and missile defense system.

While those remain in place, the Trump administration cut its boosted naval presence in half over the past month, with the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group heading home to Virginia. The Carl Vinson strike group remains in the Arabian Sea.