With speculation mounting that a U.S. strike on Iran is imminent, the Jerusalem Post reported on the 24th that the U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is expected to enter Haifa in northern Israel soon.
According to the report, the Ford entered the Mediterranean on the 23rd local time, and supporting assets such as U.S. military oilers, cargo planes and tankers have already arrived at several airfields and ports in Israel. The U.S. Navy has not yet disclosed the exact time of entry.
Haifa is a port city that houses Israel's Navy headquarters and major refining facilities, and during the "12-day war" that broke out in June last year when Israel launched a surprise airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities, it was a region Iran targeted for retaliation.
The Jerusalem Post said, "About 40,000 U.S. troops have already been deployed in the Middle East, and with the U.S. Navy's 12th carrier strike group led by the Ford joining, thousands more have been reinforced."
The Ford's choice of Haifa Port as its anchorage is seen as positioning for an attack on Iran and as preparation for Iranian retaliation aimed at Israel, the United States' staunch ally.
The U.S. military supplemented the nearby waters last month by deploying the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, followed by the Gerald R. Ford. The Gerald R. Ford was deployed to the Caribbean late last year to conduct operations including a maritime blockade of Venezuela.
Meanwhile, the United States has recently concentrated key strategic assets around Iran while imposing safety measures at hubs that could become potential targets of Iranian retaliation. The previous day, Lebanon's LBCI reported that the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon evacuated dozens of staff overseas, and the U.S. State Department confirmed it decided to send out nonessential personnel after reviewing the recent security situation.
Before launching airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year, the United States also issued similar evacuation orders to embassies in the Middle East, including Lebanon and Iraq.