Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its strike group are in transit to the Persian Gulf where it will oversee the Trump-ordered withdrawal of up to 5,000 American troops from the region in the coming weeks and months. It’s part of Trump’s belated efforts to drastically reduce American presence from Iraq and Afghanistan and to bring the troops home.
The carrier group will provide “defensive capabilities” amid the large-scale logistical operation. While it was deployed prior to the dramatic events of the past days which has seen soaring tensions between Iran, Israel and the US over the high profile assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the deployment comes as both Iran and Israel are on ‘high alert’ and a war-footing.
“This action ensures we have sufficient capability available to respond to any threat and to deter any adversary from acting against our troops during the force reduction,” a weekend Pentagon said statement said.
Over the past week the Islamic Republic’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stepped up its naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, believed to be a ‘show of strength’ after widespread reports this month that Trump may be mulling preemptive military action against Iran.
Tehran has charged that Israel was behind the Friday assassination of Fakhrizadeh in an effort to draw it into a full-blown war, which would also likely draw in the US.
However, USA Today noted the carrier deployment while coming at a tense time is not responding to any particular threat:
Navy Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the 5th Fleet, said there was no specific threat that led the carrier, its dozens of aircraft and the strike group back to the Persian Gulf.
Carrier Nimitz Returns to Gulf as Iran Makes Threats https://t.co/6MCAwU6E19
— Military.com (@Militarydotcom) November 29, 2020
Iran has vowed retaliation, but this is likely to come as either a delayed or very limited response, considering the Iranians are also waiting out the clock on the Trump presidency, preferring to deal with Biden after January 20 instead.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
- New Details On Brazen Assassination In Iran: Top Nuclear Scientist Was Killed By Remotely-Controlled Machine Gun
- Iran To Boost Nuclear Activity In Response To Top Scientist’s Assassination
- Erdogan The Peacemaker: Turkey Calls On Iran To Deminstrate Restraint Amid Assassination Of Nuclear Scientist Near Tehran
“oversee the Trump-ordered withdrawal of up to 5,000 American troops”. LMFAO Pentagon lied to Trump about how many soldiers are in Syria…and when Biden get in they gonna go right back to Syria/Iraq/Afghan or even Ukr…
Wrong …
YOU’RE a potato head … stay away from air fryers … eh?
next
They would be capable of scuttling the Nimitz with all the crew in order to unleash war and make Isisrahell happy, they have already done so more than once. That happiness will not last on this round, for the usurer the colonial adventure in MO will see the end.
Yes, they are, and wouldn’t hesitate if it serves their purpose. Something big is needed to get the people behind a war. Given there’s no justification for war against Iran, the something needs to be really big. Probably bigger than one carrier group. That’s only if they don’t blunder the way they’ve blundered in the last 10 years, or so. For the first time, US is at risk of being attacked inside US borders. Locations are targeted, the right is reserved to strike first if a US attack is believed eminent. This hasn’t happened since Pearl Harbor. There’s weapons within 200 miles of both US coasts that have no analog in the world. Fucking with Iran is at best unwise. Iran has powerful allies, that have publicly stated the actions it will take should US choose to use a nuke. Regardless where the weapon originated.
The boys and girls on the ships of this carrier battle group better pray to the Big Rabbi Boss In The Sky that US/Iran tensions do not escalate. What do you think happens if a nuclear power plant on a ship is hit by just one anti-ship missile? It could really ruin your day kiddies.
There will be over five thousand ships company on board that floating coffin,two Sunburn missiles and they are toast.
It’s nothing next to Fuckupshima Daiaichi.
They are rushing in targets and they know it…
Iran won’t interfere in America withdrawing its presence in the region. They’ll play the long game as usual.
I’ve located a patriotic billionaire who might be willing to help stand up a specop force for use in Washington, DC and elsewhere independent of the military and law enforcement, though capable of working with them. To help insure stability, territorial integrity, and to the extent possible a peaceful progression of events in the US through the contested election process and into and through a potential economic collapse and economic and probably some type of political restructuring.
How much of this will be covert non open source, or overt open source activity I don’t know at this stage.