The U.S. is sending a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and speeding the arrival of an aircraft carrier strike group, as Israel braces for retaliatory attacks from Iran and its proxies after the assassination of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Pentagon confirmed late Sunday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the dispatch of the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the region. He further ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which is equipped with F-35C fighter jets, to accelerate its ongoing transit to the area.
The orders, and the rare step to publicly announce the deployment of a submarine, came as Austin reaffirmed Washington's "commitment to take every possible step to defend" its ally in a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, according to a readout from the Pentagon. Gallant "detailed IDF readiness and capabilities in the face of threats posed by Iran and its regional proxies, and discussed interoperability with the wide range of U.S. military capabilities deployed to the region," his office said. Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the assassination, and while Israel remained silent on the matter, they are believed to be responsible for the assassination.
Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed "severe punishment" for the assassination, after which Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 Hamas terror attack, was named the political leader. of the group.
But it is not yet clear how Iran plans to retaliate.
Reports that the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began military operations last week sparked fears of a backlash that the US and its allies worry could lead to a full-scale regional conflict. As tensions continue to spiral, the U.S. has ramped up pressure on Israel and Hamas to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal that would end Israel's deadly offensive in Gaza, where local officials say around 40,000 people have been killed in the months since Hamas launched its attacks on Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others taken hostage.
Britain, France and Germany called Monday for Iran and its allies to refrain from retaliation to avoid further escalating tensions and potentially imperiling efforts toward a cease-fire deal.
In a joint statement, the three countries said Iran and its proxies would "bear responsibility for actions that jeapordise the opportunity for peace and stability.”
The trio endorsed the latest push for a deal by the U.S. and other mediators, their intervention coming after Hamas appeared to push back against restarting talks later this week.
A number of countries, including the U.K., have asked airlines to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace in recent days amid fears of an attack, while western nations have also urged their citizens to leave parts of the region.
Israel has faced fresh scrutiny after launching a deadly strike on a school in Gaza City where displaced civilians were sheltering, killing at least 100 people and injuring dozens more on Saturday morning, according to Gaza's civil defense agency. The Israel Defense Forces said they had targeted a Hamas command center holed up in a school building, and that "several measures have been taken to reduce the risk of harming civilians." NBC News could not independently determine if there is a command center at the school.
The White House said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" by the attack, and said it had "always and consistently" warned that Israel must take action to minimize civilian harm.
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