WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon has decided to send home the only Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East, a move that will reduce U.S. firepower in the region amid tensions with Iran.
The decision, announced Thursday by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, came a day after B-52 Air Force bombers flew non-stop from the United States into the Persian Gulf in a show of strength that, according to the military officers, intended to warn Iran of carrying out attacks against American forces or interests.
The deployment of the aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, to the west coast of the United States, would seem contrary to the idea that a show of strength is needed to deter Iran. This could reflect a split within the defense establishment over whether Iran poses an increased strike threat in the waning days of the Trump administration.
In announcing the decision to send the Nimitz home, Miller made no mention of Iran.
Earlier this week, a U.S. military official close to the situation told reporters that the United States had detected signs that Iran had prepared possible attacks on U.S. or allied targets in Iraq or elsewhere. places in the Middle East. That was why they sent two U.S. B-52 bombers to briefly fly over the Gulf on Wednesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments.
President Donald Trump recently cited “chatter” that Iran could attack. Days after a December 20 rocket attack on the grounds of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad by Iranian-backed Shiite militia groups, Trump tweeted that Iran was on high alert.
“Some friendly health tips in Iran: If an American is killed, I will make Iran responsible. Think about it,” Trump wrote on Dec. 23. He added: “We hear rumors of additional attacks on Americans in Iraq.”
U.S. concerns have been linked to the approaching January 3 anniversary of the U.S. air strike that killed Iran’s top commander, General Qassem Soleimani. Initially, Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack on a military base in neighboring Iraq, which caused dozens of injuries from concussions, but no U.S. troops were killed. But U.S. officials are concerned that Iran may plan further retaliation.
Because of the escalating potential that could lead to a wider war, the U.S. has tried to deter Iran from further attacks. The strategic calculations of both sides are further complicated by the political transition in Washington towards a Biden administration that may seek new avenues to deal with Iran. President-elect Joe Biden has said, for example, that he hopes the United States will return to a 2015 agreement with world powers in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. .
The United States has maintained an almost continued aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region since the USS Abraham Lincoln was dispatched in May 2019, amid concerns that Iran would consider attacking US interests in the region. The U.S. also sent additional ground attack aircraft and re-established the presence of troops in Saudi Arabia.
The Nimitz was deployed from the United States in April and was due to return before the end of the year. In early December, his planned return was postponed, in part because of concerns about possible Iranian threats, and more recently he was ordered to support the Somali coast for the movement of American forces out of the country.