US warships are dispatched! Lebanon-Israel situation is tense
According to the Associated Press on June 28, the U.S. amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the eastern Mediterranean this week. The U.S. deployed this warship to prevent the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon from escalating into a wider war.
A U.S. official reportedly said that while the Wasp has the ability to assist in evacuating civilians in the event of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, that was not the primary reason for the deployment. "It's for deterrence," the official said.
▲File photo: USS Wasp amphibious assault ship
Another U.S. official said the rotation was similar to when the United States sent the USS Bataan amphibious assault ship into waters around Israel shortly after Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack. The ship has been in the eastern Mediterranean for months.
The officials requested anonymity because the discussions involved sensitive operational details, the report said.
U.S. officials reportedly said last week that the Wasp's deployment was possible because the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its air wing left the area. The Wasp's F-35 fighters can take off and land vertically, so they can launch airstrikes from smaller ships.
The U.S. European Command, which oversees operations in the Mediterranean, announced the move this week, saying the Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard will sail with the USS Oak Hill, a dock landing ship used to transport Marines, landing craft, vehicles and cargo. The U.S. ship Oak Hill is already in the Mediterranean.
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