U.S. increasing military presence in Middle East after Hamas leader’s killing

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday ordered more destroyers and other military forces to the Middle East following this week’s assassination of Hamas’ political leader in Iran, the military said.

The USS Lincoln aircraft carrier will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt — a move that had been expected before Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Iran’s capital — and more destroyers and fighter aircraft will also deploy to the region.

“The Department of Defense continues to take steps to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran’s partners and proxies,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.

The U.S. military statement does not specifically mention Haniyeh’s killing. Iran has vowed retaliation against Israel after Haniyeh and a bodyguard were killed in an explosion at his residence at around 2 a.m. local time Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday).

Israel has not confirmed that it killed Haniyeh. It typically remains silent on targeted assassinations.

The killing also has raised concerns about a widening regional conflict following the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, a terrorist group that Iran supports, and the resulting war by Israel against the group in Gaza.

“Additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers” were ordered to the regions overseen by U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command, Singh said in the statement.

Some will be deployed with the USS Lincoln.

“The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense,” the Pentagon statement said.

In April missile defenses, including from U.S. military forces and warships, shot down missiles and drones that Iran launched against Israel in what Austin called an “unprecedented” direct attack against the U.S. ally.

Israel declared war against Hamas and its leaders after the Oct. 7 attacks launched from Gaza, which Hamas controls. Israel’s military has declared the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, a “dead man walking.”

Austin called Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Friday and reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s defense, the Pentagon said in a summation of his remarks.

“Secretary Austin highlighted that further escalation is not inevitable and that all countries in the region would benefit from a de-escalation in tensions, including through completing a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal,” the Defense Department said in a statement about the call.

“However, he also stressed that the unprecedented scale of U.S. support for Israel since October 7 should leave Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups with no doubt about U.S. resolve,” it said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week that if Israel is attacked it will respond.