US nuclear-powered submarine is now in Middle East waters
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The nuclear-powered submarine USS Georgia is now in the US Central Command area of operation, US defense officials said, adding to an array of military assets rushed to the region in recent weeks.
“The Georgia has transitted to the CENTCOM AOR,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of the guided missile submarine to the Middle East in August as the region braced for possible attacks by Iran and its allies in response to the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah carried out its retaliation against Israel, which preemptively struck several Hezbollah targets inside Lebanon last month. Iran continues to threaten its response but has not done anything yet. US officials say that Iran is still postured to carry out an attack on Israel.
But the Pentagon has said that the flow of additional US military assets closer to Iran has “gotten into the headspace” of Tehran as it continues to ponder a response.
The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East just over two weeks ago after orders from Austin to accelerate its transit from the Indo-Pacific. He also ordered the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group to maintain a strike group presence in the region, although it’s scheduled to return to the US in the coming days unless Austin orders another extension.
Today, there are approximately 40,000 American servicemembers in the CENTCOM region. That is an increase from the regular 30,000-strong presence. Other assets deployed include extra ballistic missile defense systems, destroyers from the Gulf of Oman to the Red Sea, additional fighter jets and other destroyers to Europe and the Middle East.
On Tuesday, Ryder reiterated previous comments that the US continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East.
“[The Department of Defense] continues to monitor the situation across the region and remains postured to support the defense of Israel and protect US troops and assets in the region,” he said.
Photo: The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia passes Mount Vesuvius after a port visit to Naples, Italy. (US Navy).
