The United States has positioned about 18 warships, two of which are aircraft carriers, throughout the Middle East as it seeks to deter any possible attacks from Iran that could spark an all-out war with Israel.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
While there have been some U.S. warships positioned in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden combating the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, more Navy and Air Force assets are being brought in as a show of force, the Pentagon shared.
Joining the two carrier strike groups operating in the Middle East is an Air Force F-22 Raptor squadron and a guided-missile submarine, the USS Georgia.
It’s rare that the Pentagon will disclose the location or destination of a nuclear-powered submarine, and in doing so, the Defense Department makes a powerful statement.
So, exactly how much firepower is the U.S. using to make its statement?
Bryan Clark, the director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Defense Concepts and Technology, shared with Axios that there are “easily more than 500 Tomahawk missiles ready to attack Iran and more than 100 aircraft ready to defend allies to respond.”
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, addressed the move and what it means for the Defense Department’s long-standing priority of protecting the Indo-Pacific, saying they “can walk and chew gum at the same time.”
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok