Iranian Cleric Threatens To Blow Up US Carrier
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed by Washington to the Middle East to serve as a warning to Iran. The US government has also approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defense battery and another warship to the Middle East.
CNN released the following report on the recent movements of US ships:
“USS Arlington, which is used to
transport marines, amphibious vehicles and rotary aircraft, as well as the
Patriot missiles, will follow the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group
which is currently sailing in the Red Sea.”
The US government also stated that the series of deployments to the Middle East has been approved in response to “heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations”.
This was validated by the Pentagon in its own statement:
“The Acting Secretary of Defense
has approved the movement of USS Arlington (LPD-24) and a Patriot battery to US
Central Command (CENTCOM) as part of the command’s original request for forces
from earlier this week.”
US Central Command confirmed that earlier this week, a US Air Force bomber task force arrived at the US airbase Al Udeid in Qatar:
“The Department of Defense
continues to closely monitor the activities of the Iranian regime, their
military and proxies. Due to operational security, we will not discuss
timelines or location of forces. The United States does not seek conflict with
Iran, but we are postured and ready to defend US forces and interests in the
region.”
Meanwhile, Iran dismissed Washington’s moves as an “unskillful” attempt at waging “psychological war against Iran.”
The deployments prompted senior
Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Tabatabai-Nejad to issue the following threat:
“Their billion (-dollar) fleet
can be destroyed with one missile.”
“If they attempt any move, they will [face] dozens of missiles because at that time government officials won’t be in charge to act cautiously, but instead things will be in the hands of our beloved leader, (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei).”
US officials revealed that prior to the US carrier group’s arrival, Iran had started transporting short-range ballistic missiles by sea to the Persian Gulf area. Tehran has not commented on the reports.