Al-Monitor: US Navy sends guided-missile submarine to Middle East amid Iran tensions
US show of force comes as Pentagon extends aircraft carrier deployment following last month's lethal attack by Iran-backed militias on US personnel in Syria.
The US Navy deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Middle East waters via the Suez Canal, a spokesperson revealed Saturday.
The Pentagon's rare disclosure of the location of one of its Ohio-class submarines came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran after an American military contractor was killed by a drone attack on a US base in Syria last month.
The USS Florida arrived in the region before transiting the canal on Friday "to help ensure regional maritime security and stability," Cdr. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the US Navy's 5th Fleet, told Al-Monitor via email.
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US Deploys Guided-Missile Submarine To The Middle East
US deploys guided-missile submarine amid tensions with Iran -- AP
Navy Announces USS Florida Guided-Missile Submarine Deployment to Middle East -- USNI News
US Deploys Nuclear Submarine in Mideast Amid Iran Tension -- Bloomberg
US deploys guided-missile submarine amid tensions with Iran -- Euronews
US navy sends nuclear submarine to Middle East amid soaring Iran tensions -- Times of Israel
U.S. sends cruise missile-armed submarine to Red Sea amid rising Iran tensions -- UPI