The United States surrounds Iran with heavy troops! The

# Shanghai Observer

The US Navy's Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the Middle East and is set to launch several days of combat readiness exercises in the region. In addition to the Lincoln carrier strike group, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Mitscher and USS McFaul are also operating in waters surrounding Iran. The US Air Force has also deployed over a dozen F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets to areas near Iran. Iran has warned that "any attack against Iran will be regarded as an all-out war".

According to Israeli sources on the 25th, the US Navy's Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the Middle East and is conducting operations within the area of responsibility of the US Central Command.

The US Air Force stated on the same day that it will launch several days of combat readiness exercises in the Middle East. The US Air Force said the drills aim to demonstrate the military's capability to deploy and sustain air combat power in the region.

*Photo courtesy of CCTV News report*

## US Deploys Heavy Troops to "Encircle Iran"

After US President Trump once again threatened military action against Iran, external observers have noticed that US forces are continuously deploying to areas surrounding Iran. Beyond the Lincoln carrier strike group, US Air Force fighter jets, transport aircraft and refueling tankers have also been frequently redeployed to US military bases in the Middle East. Israeli officials described that whether US forces will launch strikes against Iran depends entirely on Trump's will.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is equipped with Carrier Air Wing 9, which includes F-35C stealth carrier-based fighter jets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D Hawkeye early warning aircraft, CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters. In addition, its escort fleet includes the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay and multiple Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers from Destroyer Squadron 21.

Israel's Ynet News reported on the 24th that besides the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Mitscher and USS McFaul are also operating in waters near Iran. Both these ships and the escort vessels of the Lincoln are equipped with the Aegis Combat System, which can intercept aerial targets, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. These Aegis warships are generally armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of approximately 1,500 to 2,500 kilometers, capable of striking strategic targets deep inside Iran from open sea positions. During last year's US military Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran, in addition to heavy bunker busters dropped by US Air Force B-2 strategic bombers on Iranian nuclear facilities, US Navy nuclear submarines also launched 30 Tomahawk missiles underwater.

Reports indicate that the US Navy fleet in the region also includes the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney, which can provide integrated command and control capabilities and coordinate operations of US Navy, Air Force and ground forces; the expeditionary mobile base ship USNS Lewis B. Puller, which can serve as a floating sea base; the Virginia-class attack submarine USS South Dakota, which can provide underwater intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and conventional strike capabilities; and the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, which is also equipped with a large number of Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Furthermore, US website Forbes reported on the 24th that the US Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt has completed its maintenance and begun deployment to the Pacific region. Although the US Navy has not disclosed the carrier's actual deployment location, it was previously deployed to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions for 278 days.

Ynet News stated that in addition to the US Navy, the US Air Force has also deployed over a dozen F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets to areas near Iran, without disclosing their specific locations. Earlier, under the command of the US Central Command, US Air Force squadrons of F-35A, F-15E and F-16 fighter jets have been deployed in the region, along with P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The KC-135 and KC-46A aerial refueling tankers pre-deployed in the region are expanding the operational range of the US Air Force and supporting sustained long-duration air missions.

The War Zone channel of The Drive website also noted that a large number of US Air Force F-15E fighter jets, accompanied by KC-135 tankers, flew from RAF Lakenheath in the UK to the Middle East. These heavy fighter jets have always been the backbone of the US Air Force for long-range strike missions. Reports said that in addition to their strong offensive capabilities, the F-15E fighter jets can also play a key role if Iran launches large-scale attacks on Israel or US bases in the region. The F-15E performed excellently in assisting Israel to intercept multiple Iranian drone and cruise missile attacks last year, and now these fighter jets are equipped with specialized equipment for drone interception, making them "more capable than ever before in performing such missions".

Although satellite images show that the US has not yet deployed a large number of bombers and fighter jets to the Diego Garcia base deep in the Indian Ocean, data from online flight tracking websites confirms that a large number of C-17 strategic transport aircraft have flown to the Middle East, which may be used to transport supplies and personnel. The US Wall Street Journal reported that to guard against potential Iranian attacks, the US is deploying additional Patriot air and missile defense systems and advanced THAAD anti-missile systems to the Middle East.

In addition, the UK is also dispatching fighter jets to the Middle East. The UK Ministry of Defense announced: "The Royal Air Force's No. 12 Typhoon Fighter Squadron, jointly formed with Qatar, has been deployed to the Gulf region to perform defense missions. This move is part of the UK-Qatar Defense Pact, aimed at responding to regional tensions."

Israeli media reported that Israeli security assessments suggest the US may launch an attack on Iran "within the next few days". A senior Israel Defense Forces official told The War Zone channel of The Drive website in an interview: "My assessment is that a strike will happen. The key variables—the timing of the operation, the way it is executed, and the identity of the participating forces (whether it is the US military, the Israel Defense Forces, or other possible coalition forces)—will be strictly and carefully divided. The final decision on whether to launch the strike rests entirely with Trump."

France 24 reported on the 24th that as the US continues to increase pressure and threats against Iran, Iran has warned that "any attack against Iran will be regarded as an all-out war". Reports stated that Iran has issued its clearest warning to the US so far, declaring that any US military strike against Iran—whether limited, targeted or large-scale—will be regarded as a declaration of all-out war. An unnamed senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran will respond to any US attack in the "strongest possible way" and emphasized that Iran will not distinguish between symbolic strikes and larger-scale military offensives. The official said that Iran's armed forces are currently in the highest state of combat readiness.

External observers believe that Iran currently possesses thousands of short and medium-range ballistic missiles and an even larger number of suicide drones. In addition to launching large-scale missile and drone attacks on Israel and US military bases in the Middle East, The Times of Israel analyzed that Iran's possible countermeasures also include blockading the Strait of Hormuz. Reports pointed out that the key factor deterring the US from taking military action is that the US and Israel still worry about not having sufficient resources in the region to respond to Iran's potential retaliation, and Trump is also unwilling to engage in a protracted war with Iran.

**Source: Shanghai Observer**

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