White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby announced that the United States has heightened its regional force posture in the Middle East, aligning with Israel's concerns about a potential attack backed by Iran. This escalation comes in response to accusations from Iran and Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, that Israel was responsible for the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month.
Kirby emphasized that the US must be prepared for what could be a significant wave of attacks, possibly occurring as early as this week. Israel has been on high alert since last month when a missile attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 young people, prompting Israel to retaliate by killing a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. The assassination of Hamas's political leader, Haniyeh, in Tehran shortly afterward further escalated tensions, with Iran vowing to retaliate against Israel.
In light of these developments, the Pentagon has taken proactive measures, deploying a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and accelerating the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. However, the carrier strike group, currently near the South China Sea, is expected to take over a week to reach the Middle East.
These rising tensions have also affected global markets, with crude oil prices increasing by more than 3% on Monday, marking the fifth consecutive session of rising prices. The ongoing conflict and fears of a broader Middle Eastern war threaten to disrupt global oil supplies.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue their operations near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, even as international efforts intensify to broker a deal that could halt the fighting in Gaza and prevent the conflict from expanding into a larger regional war involving Iran and its proxies.
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