U.S. Sends Nimitz, Destroyers, and Refueling Fleet Toward Middle East as Israel-Iran War Intensifies

by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, along with several Navy destroyers, and a surge of military air refueling planes are heading toward the Middle East as Washington strengthens its military posture amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.

The Nimitz canceled a scheduled port call in Vietnam and on Monday was transiting the Malacca Strait toward the Indian Ocean, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.

President Donald Trump has maintained that the United States will not enter the war between Israel and Iran unless directly attacked. However, he has warned Tehran, “If we are attacked, you will be hit with the full force of the U.S. military.”

The U.S. military has already played a role in defending Israel during this latest flare-up. American air defense systems, including Navy destroyers and ground-based interceptors, helped Israel repel waves of Iranian ballistic missiles launched over the weekend in retaliation for Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and senior military leaders.

Fueling speculation of a large-scale U.S. operation, aviation watchers reported that 28 U.S. military refueling planes–often used to support strategic bombers–took off simultaneously from the United States on Monday morning. While some suggested the activity could be linked to a U.S.-Finland military exercise beginning today, experts noted that the aircraft were headed east, toward the Middle East, not north toward Europe.

Online observers and bloggers specializing in military affairs described the scale of refueling operations as highly unusual, prompting theories that the U.S. is preparing for significant action in support of its regional allies.

The Pentagon is also repositioning assets. The Navy destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, equipped to defend against ballistic missiles, is moving from the western Mediterranean toward the eastern Mediterranean. A second destroyer has been ordered to advance and stand ready if needed.

While the USS Carl Vinson remains in the Arabian Sea, the Nimitz could soon join U.S. forces in the Middle East. The USS George Washington, having recently departed Japan, is another potential reinforcement.

This latest buildup recalls U.S. actions following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, when President Joe Biden surged forces to the region to deter Hezbollah and Iran. Since then, U.S. warships have repeatedly intercepted missiles fired at Israel, including during major Iranian barrages.

As tensions soar, all eyes are on Washington’s next move as it weighs deterrence and defense amid one of the most dangerous escalations in the region in years.

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