US to send more jets and warships to Middle East as Iran threatens Israel after Hamas leader assassinated

3 August 2024, 08:10 | Updated: 3 August 2024, 08:26

The US will send more jets and warships to the Middle East as tensions escalate in the region, after Iran threatened Israel following the assassination of a top Hamas leader.

The Pentagon said it would move an extra fighter squadron and more warships into the region, adding that it commitment to Israel was "ironclad".

The US also said that its forces already in the Middle East had been put into a higher state of readiness to deploy.

It comes after the deaths of two senior leaders of Iranian proxy groups in recent days.

Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei pledged to retaliate with "harsh punishment" for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tenerife, with three days of mourning declared.

Israel has not commented publicly on the attack, although Iran and Hamas both blame the country for Haniyeh's death.

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His death on Wednesday came just hours after Israel claimed it had killed Fuad Shukr, the top military leader of Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon.

US defence secretary Lloyd Austin "ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies," the Pentagon said.

The extra fighter squadron in the Middle East is for "reinforcing... defensive air support capability," US military chiefs added in a statement.

"Additionally, Secretary Austin has ordered additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command regions," according to the statement.

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"The Department is also taking steps to increase our readiness to deploy additional land-based ballistic missile defense."

In April, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for the killing of an Iranian military leader in Damascus. The US and UK were among the countries that helped Israel defend itself from the attack.

Israeli Prime Minister warned his compatriots that "challenging days lie ahead... we have heard threats from all sides."

"We are prepared for any scenario," he added.

But Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that escalation was not inevitable.

She told reporters: "I think we are being very direct in our messaging that certainly we don't want to see heightened tensions and we do believe there is an off-ramp here and that is that ceasefire deal."