US to send more warships, fighter jets to Middle East to bolster defenses
(VOVWORLD) - The US military will deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Friday, as Washington seeks to bolster defenses following threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah.
 A F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jet is catapulted off the flight deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) aircraft carrier in Southern Red Sea, Middle East, on Feb 13, 2024. (PHOTO: Reuters)
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The US is bracing for Iran to make good on its vow to respond to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh two days ago in Tehran - one in a series of killings of senior figures in the Palestinian militant group as the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had approved sending additional Navy cruisers and destroyers, which can shoot down ballistic missiles, to the Middle East and Europe. It is also sending an additional squadron of fighter jets to the Middle East.
The Pentagon statement added it would increase readiness to deploy more land-based ballistic missile defenses.