Pentagon to maintain strong military presence in Middle East to deter Iran, says Austin

Shafaq News/ The US remains committed to keeping a robust military presence in the Middle East to prevent Iran from attacking Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during a visit, stressing that the ongoing show of force is helping deter Iranian aggression.

"The force posture does matter," Austin said. "It has mattered a lot. It’s not just the capability being there. It’s the messaging associated with that. It’s the active engagement of leaders. As we endeavor to manage the crisis, what we’re doing on both sides of the fence is to make sure we don’t allow something to unnecessarily escalate out of control."

Austin’s comments followed the Pentagon's announcement that the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its battle group had departed the region. However, Austin warned that the departure did not signal an end to the Iranian threat to retaliate for an Israeli strike that killed a senior Hamas leader in Tehran. The US military presence would not be significantly reduced, he added.

"It does not mean that there is not a threat from Iran and that we should no longer be concerned," Austin said. "I think you have to take them at their word when they advertise their intent to do something, whether it’s today or in the future. So I think it’s important to remain at the ready—especially for Israel."

To counter Iran and its regional proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Biden administration has publicly warned that Iran’s government and economy could face severe consequences if it launched a major attack on Israel. The US has reinforced its regional presence with additional naval and air forces, including Air Force F-15, F-16, and F-22 fighter jets, alongside the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, its F-35C jets, and a nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Georgia, armed with 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Despite the departure of the Roosevelt, the US still has a greater military presence in the region than it did on April 13, when it helped Israel neutralize an Iranian assault that involved over 300 missiles and drones, with 99% intercepted.

"We actually still have more capability in the region than we had on the 13th of April," Austin noted.

Although deterring China remains the Pentagon’s primary long-term focus, Austin emphasized that the US would continue its strong presence in the Middle East, particularly as the anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel approaches.

"I still have an aircraft carrier in the region and I still have a lot of other capability in the region," Austin said.