US sends submarine to Middle East as tensions rise

The US has deployed a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, as tensions rise in the region.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also said that the aircraft carrier that was already on its way to the area would go there as soon as possible.

The move comes after fears of a wider regional conflict, following the killing of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.

It shows the US’s determination to help defend Israel from any attack by Iran – with Mr Austin saying the US will “take every step possible” to protect its ally.

Iran is being watched closely for how and when to respond to the assassination of senior Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

The Iranians have blamed Israel for the killing of Mr. Haniyeh on their soil, and have vowed to punish it. Israel has not yet commented but it is widely believed that he was behind it.

In a statement on Sunday, The Pentagon said Mr Austine had sent the USS Georgia guided-missile submarine to the region.

It also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, which carries F-35C fighter jets, to accelerate its journey there. The ship was already on its way to replace another US ship in the region.

It is not clear what Iran plans to do.

Meanwhile, another possible attack on Israel could come from Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia and political organization in Lebanon.

The group vowed to respond to Israel’s killing of commander-in-chief Fuad Shukr, which happened just a few hours after Mr. Haniyeh was killed, in an area south of Beirut.

The Biden administration believes a ceasefire in Gaza that frees Israeli hostages would be the best way to ease tensions in the region, and has called for talks to resume Thursday.

But sunday night, Hamas has responded to US efforts to renew ceasefire talks by saying that Israel should be forced to implement the existing agreement.

Hamas said any resumption of ceasefire talks on the conflict in Gaza should be based on previous arrangements rather than holding new talks.

However, its statement indicated an agreement in principle to participate.

Washington has blamed Hamas for the failure of the negotiations.

But Israeli media reports say the US is increasingly seeing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the party concerned – because he is accused of appeasing members of his party who oppose the deal.

Last week, for the first time the White House publicly criticized one of these coalition leaders, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Mr Smotrich urged Israel to reject US pressure to end the talks, saying that would be a surrender to Hamas. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Mr Smotrich was “dead wrong” and accused him of lying.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the UK, France and Germany again supported the requests to restart the negotiations.

“We agree that there can be no more delay,” said a statement by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

“We have been working with all parties to de-escalate the situation and we will not stop trying to reduce tensions and find a path to stability.”