Announcement of a joint US military exercise at the embassy and Baghdad airport
US President Donald Trump stated that a large naval fleet is moving towards the Middle East region, including an aircraft carrier and a number of destroyers.
This came in a statement to reporters aboard the presidential plane, "Air Force One," on his way back to the United States after meeting with leaders from around the world in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump said, "We have a large number of ships moving in that direction, in case of any emergency... I don't want anything to happen, but we are watching them very closely."
The US forces in the Middle East are being reinforced with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and a number of destroyers equipped with guided missiles and additional air defense systems that could be critical to defense if any Iranian attack occurs on US bases in the region.
According to media reports and statements by a US Navy official, the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" and three destroyers are making their way to the Middle East region, with estimates suggesting their arrival within the next few days.
US media reported that the US force includes an aircraft carrier, cruisers and missile destroyers, in addition to squadrons of fighter jets belonging to the Air Force and ground-based air and missile defense systems.
American warships, including the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, several destroyers, and fighter jets, began moving from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East last week, amid rising tensions and escalation between Tehran and Washington over the recent protests in Iran.
It is noted that the US military had amassed a large force last summer before its strikes last June against sites in Iran.
The White House announced last Thursday that President Trump and his team are closely monitoring developments in Iran, and stressed that "all options regarding Tehran remain on the table." link
