The US Navy has deployed the USS Florida, a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, to the Middle East.
The Ohio-class submarine passed through the Suez Canal on Friday and headed for the Red Sea. According to a Navy spokesman, the location is in support of the US 5th Fleet, which patrols the Strait of Hormuz there.
The US wants to strengthen its position in the region
The submarine’s deployment comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran and is part of Washington’s broader effort to bolster its positions in the region to prevent Iran-backed forces from attacking the US and its allies.
Tensions between the US and Iran have increased since the Trump administration took office. Apart from the rapprochement with Moscow, the Tehran regime is also trying to improve its relations with China. There was a rapprochement under Chinese auspices with the Gulf nation of Saudi Arabia.
Tehran is trying to get closer to Moscow, Beijing and Saudi Arabia
Foreign ministers Hussain Amirabtullahian and Faisal bin Farhan met in Beijing last Thursday – the first such meeting in more than seven years. China had been making a new start behind the scenes for months.
Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran have not maintained diplomatic ties in recent years. Both countries are fighting for political and military influence in the region.
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