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," Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the US Navy's 5th Fleet, told Al-Monitor via email.
The deployment of the USS Florida "offers us additional flexibility, firepower, survivability, readiness and capability," spokesperson for US Central Command Col. Joe Buccino said.
