"We are at a high level of readiness": These are US forces in the Gulf
US forces in the Middle East are "at a high level of readiness," with the main concern being a missile attack by Iranian ships. While the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln continues to advance to the Iranian coast, together with its battle group, a senior US Navy official was interviewed and told about the threat from Tehran. All this, a few days after the Iranian ultimatum to raise the level of uranium enrichment - and the fear of a surprise attack.
Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the Fifth Fleet, said in a telephone interview to Reuters this weekend that if necessary, he would not avoid sending the Abraham Lincoln carrier and the ships escorting it to the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, Persian region, through which a fifth of world oil consumption passes. "If I have to get her into trouble, I'll do it," Malloy said. "I am not limited in any way to how to act in the Middle East."
The Persian Gulf has a number of major US bases. The Fifth Fleet, which is the main naval force in the Central Command of the United States, is stationed in the Persian Gulf region as a deterrent force. The naval headquarters are located in Bahrain, where 7,000 American soldiers are stationed. In Kuwait, where the headquarters of the US Central Command is located, 13,000 American soldiers are stationed. Dubai, UAE is the largest port of the US Navy, outside the United States. In the United Arab Emirates, there are 5,000 US military personnel, most of them in the Al-Dafra air base in Abu Dhabi, where UAVs and F-35 fighter jets are located.
Qatar is also home to headquarters of the US Central Command, as well as the al-Udayid base, which has 10,000 military personnel. There, too, the B-52 bombers landed in recent days. Sultanate of Oman allows thousands of US Air Force flights to cross its territory, and even allows access to its seaports and bases. Meanwhile, according to reports, US special forces are on the ground in Yemen as part of the war the Saudis are waging against the Houthi rebels, which receive significant aid from Iran. For years, the United States has also been waging an air campaign to assassinate al-Qaeda operatives in the Arabian Peninsula.
Malloy said that the intelligence that led the Americans to send the aircraft carrier was linked to "real activity that was observed, which is certainly enough for me. Apart from the aircraft carrier and the ships accompanying it - including three destroyers - the American decided this weekend to deploy a Patriot missile battery in the area, and to ship an amphibious ship and a Marine unit.
US officials said that according to one piece of intelligence received, Iran had delivered missiles in boats. One of the sources noted that a specific missile was observed that could be launched from a small ship. "There is a possibility that this is a new technology by Iran," he said, noting that the weapon "is in a category of instability and its nature."
The same sources also raised concerns about a Shi'ite militia in Iraq backed by Iran, which refrained from confronting American forces as part of the fight against Da'ash, a Sunni terrorist organization. Shiite militias such as Hezbollah have been operating in Iraq for years, sometimes as "sleeper cells." Last week, it was reported that the Mossad also gave a warning to the Americans.
Sen. Tim Kane of the Democratic Party said he was concerned that "Trump's government is leading us into an unnecessary war." He confirmed that the American forces were operating at a high level of readiness, but made it clear that the US military was not interested in a war against Iran and was not preparing for such a war. "However, we are fully prepared to respond in case of action against the United States, against our partners in the region or against our interests."
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