USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. Click to see full-size image
On May 5th, US National Security Adviser John Bolton announced the deployment of a US Navy Carrier Strike Group to the US Central Command region of the Middle East.
“In response to a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings, the United States is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”
According to Bolton, the move is simply with the aim of deterrence.
“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces.”
According to CNN, Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the deployment due to “clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces are making preparations to possibly attack US forces in the region (Middle East).”
Most recently, according to USNI’s tracker, the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and its escorts were in the Persian Gulf as of April 29th.
Department of Defense spokesman Chris Sherwood told CNN in a statement, “I can confirm that the Department of Defense is deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and a bomber task force to the U.S. Central Command region.”
On Iran’s side, on May 5th, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Crops (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami said that Iran’s “daily bread” is not based on oil and the US wouldn’t be able to pressure the country.
He further claimed that the US can’t pressure the Iranian military.
“Current juncture is the season of building up power and we should try to tip the balance in our favor through finding strategies determining radius of impact,” he said.
Ali Larijani, speaker of the Iranian Parliament said that the US has undertaken a chain of hostile actions towards Iran in recent months with a “mixed-up mind.”
“After the illegal move against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, they tried to bring Iranian oil export to zero, which will not materialize. They have also made some miscalculated remarks about Iran’s nuclear cooperation with other countries in contrast with the context of the nuclear deal indicating that they are making decision with mixed-up mind,” said Larijani.
Prior to the announcement of the CSG deployment, Iran’s permanent envoy to the United Nations Majid Takht-e Ravanchi that all US actions are being put under scrutiny by Iranian officials in order to come up with reciprocal actions.
The CSG deployment comes amid an escalation in Gaza between the Israeli military and Palestinian armed groups. Some pro-Israeli sources as always blaimed Iran and its “proxies” for the escalation.
Pro-Israeli outlet Axios reported that in the week starting from May 6th, US President Donald Trump is to announce new sanctions against Iran.
In April, the US stopped issuing waivers from US sanctions on Iranian oil exports in pursuit of its “maximum pressure” strategy on the Islamic Republic.
Also in April, the US designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organization, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity. Iran responded in kind, designating all US troops in the Middle East terrorists.
In response, the Iranian Parliament designated US Central Command as a terrorist organization.
On April 30th, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif shared a NYT article, claiming that it is true. The article reports on US National Security Adviser John Bolton and the “B Team,” as well as the group the US allegedly wants to put in charge of the Islamic Republic and on behalf of whom its seeking regime change.
Today the world's catching on to @AmbJohnBolton’s chronic warmongering. But Iranians didn’t need to read a 10,000 word @NewYorker profile to be convinced: we've seen him shill for a cult terror group, and—along with his #B_Team accomplices—target Iranians with #EconomicTerrorism. pic.twitter.com/8n0UHyXOyq
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 30, 2019
While @AmbJohnBolton and the #B_Team say the Iranian people "deserve better", they’ve admitted to targeting them with #EconomicTerrorism—and even war— in a delusional pursuit of “regime-change”.
But will @realDonaldTrump let them realize their dreams of another #ForeverWar? pic.twitter.com/QcT88Wwe5K
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) April 28, 2019
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major escalation likely by the zionist controlled criminal regime of america
First phase of Idlib Dawn has begun! SAA already captured 2 towns and 1 farm, cut off road between qalaat al madiq and kafr nabudeh. God bless SAA/Russia and Godspeed!
Recapture of the golan coming soon then……
Say bye bye Russia .
If you think Russia will be doing the heavy lifting you’re sadly mistaken. No matter what war comes, a nuclear attack by the west and it’s last colonial project ( israel ) will not end in favor of said powers. It will, however, end the project as well as any western influence for centuries. It will also force an end to imperialist capitalism and begin a ripple effect destroying all economies whose infrastructure rely on oil, ushering in Asia’s dominance. I suggest you stay in Canada, your dual citizenship will no longer exist.
Shalom, ibn sharmootah Moses Pork
Just a tip: anyone posting with a regional reference (Bulgaria, Toronto, Denmark etc.) is most likely based inTel Aviv and trying to deflect blame on the said nations, regions. I believe they are nothing of the kind. Your two last lines are spot on.
Elaborate, be specific. Your point is lost.
5 billions sitting duck …maybe on purpose : an 30 years old sitting duck. What a funny motto : “Shall not perish ” !
Perhaps a jewish oligarch has bought the carrier from the US Military and has insured it for 10 billion , Leon. :)
Cracking comment! You mean like one did the Twin Towers 18 months before 911 when he substantially upped the insurance!………..Of course, he had no idea what was coming did he?
A Jewish crook is far superior to Goyim crooks.
They have the chutzpah DNA that has been honed for millennia , in the art of separating wealth from those who toiled for it.
I had a pet rat once that was an expert in this :)
Yes the list of Jewish crooks is quite impressive: Michael Milken, Bernie Madoff, Silverstein (Twin Towers) and more recently the Democrats chamber of horrors such as Rachel Madow, Debbiie Wassermann Schulttz, Chuck Schumer, Cohen, Diane Feinstein and the list goes on and on!
Ah, sorry, I just wrote something along the same lines. Yours is better, I shall delete mine above.
US$ 10 billion replacement cost plus all those costly aircraft and helicopters!
Affordable Health Care!
No there’s a sensible idea!…………But the MIC would hate it!
Indeed, carriers are only capable of bullying weak nations without a defensive missile cover. The motto should be “Shall sink!” ;)
So what?! Tel aviv and the Dimona remain in Iran’s crosshairs lol!
Even Hamas can hit them now, why do you think the Zionists chickened out of a ground war? 3 missiles hit Beersheva and did substantial damage despite total IDF media blackout.
I reckon that’s the end of the iron dome fallacy then. 1.5 million ghetto rats feeling right at home in their underground cellars, like rats ought to.
Jews are fucking cowards. Slimy cowards, that is. This is their historical reputation.
I have a dream, Lena . :)
I share that exact same dream ;-) And it’s my absolute fave dream!
Iran or Hezbollah can defeat nuclear Israel with a single, week-long barrage of conventional missiles that will destroy tel Aviv, Haifa and dimona you monkey. That is Israel’s entire strategic depth – sorry, that and US f16s and US threats. Other than that, looks kike poor eurotrash settlers will be looking for housing back home in the polish ghettos. I got a room to rent for u Lena…
Erm, you completely misunderstood my comment, pal. And I love monkeys – don’t mind one bit to be called one – better than being called a jew.
1. We need a no nato policy across the Eastern Hemisphere. No nato bases in Asia even Africa and LatAm. And I say this as a nato born speaker so I know what Im talking about. 2. Dont pick on Muslims, Ally against Muslims, or speak against Muslims, or there will be serious consequences. And I say this as a Shia for any of my Sunni Muslim Bros (In Gaza Idlib Kashmir Maghrebin or Taloqani).
floating coffins………..
Yes indeed, Iran could easily sink the whole fleet.
I agree, but Iran is a civilized country not like the savage Saudis, they know how to win international sympathy
I agree. That is the best way forward. The US is currently without her mask of respectability during the Trump presidency.
Even the shortsighted can see the aged and ugly face of US politics.
Yeeep. Trump doesn’t want war, he’s trying as much as he can to avoid it, the neocons and jewish extremists are pushing for it. But he needs them to stay in power.
The problem is that Adelson and the Kochs now want payback for putting him into power.
That he is in power is good for sane Americans, but how can Trump free himself from the Jew, even if he wants to?
They are demanding their pound of flesh.
I appreciate that its not possible to fight everyone at once.
Well, he can’t as long as dead brained and bigoted evangelicals name the Jews their “elder brothers” and are anxiously waiting the end time final battle which happens to be somewhere in Syria.
Yes, I would agree with that, and if Trump is assassinated or his health becomes a problem, Pence would be president ,Lol.
That guy has nothing to say, he’s a puppet from the GOP
Easy targets are coming for Iran. Iran should prepare their missiles and don’t miss the targets. Any threats from global terrorists and economic terrorists should be legally answered. America and Israel both terrorists deserve to be invaded and should be eliminated.
Moving a carrier group into the narrow and shallow confines of the Persian Gulf is sheer stupidity. Iran is the strongest missile power in the region with a 2,000 kms of coastline dotted with SSM and would sink many USN ships it can if it was attacked. This is mere Bolton’s idiotic posturing.
I wish him and his neocon buddies would drop dead already. They do nothing but cause trouble
” Moving a carrier group into the narrow and shallow confines of the Persian Gulf is sheer stupidity.”
We are dealing with the Empire of Stupid, so stupid is as stupid does. :)
The strongest empire on this globe dikcheese .
Its all on Trump. No more deflecting blame. Trump runs the show.
They can send their entire US navy there and i bet iran will still come out on top lol
these neocon fuckers can’t be gone soon enough. These carriers are really nothing more than target practice for iran, theyre not scaring anyone
Yes indeed. Big Boats = Big Targets.
The navigation channels in the Persian Gulf are very limited and shallow, if Iran sunk a carrier, and it surely can, the whole Gulf would be un-navigable and Bahrain can be destroyed which is the main USN and British base. The maximum depth in the Persian Gulf is barely 250 meters around Hormuz, so bringing in a lumbering slow carrier task force is suicidal. This is not the Iran of 1988.
” This is not the Iran of 1988 ”
But,but, the ‘Iran take over’ handbook from the 80’s was reprinted this year. it has a new and glossy Sci-Fi cover :)
And that was a reprint of the 1950’s version.
I do believe it is, Sinbad.
Its rather like a holy book for those who follow the scriptures that make no scientific sense :)
The books that must be obeyed.
they can send their entire navy there and still iran will win lmao
I an exercise the US conducted in 2002 called Millennium Challenge , a US marine general playing Iran did defeat the US navy. The Admirals called a halt to the exercise and ordered the general to do the right thing and lose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Challenge_2002 https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/06/opinion/how-we-won-the-war.html
And 17 years later they still have not learned lmao
The US deserted its base in Bahrain in October 2015, apparently Kalibr missiles are just too scary for the USN.
Yep, using 20 year old Yakhonts or sunburn anti carrier missiles. Persian gulf is a shooting gallery for Iranians. Carrier fleet a limp dick show of force
Cant touch this stupid .
hey putin send a few of those much talked about missiles that are multiple mach fast to endanger the carriers from moronistan (aka usa – home of criminally corrupt and bottomless stupid neo-nazi morons). would love to see one of the hangar-ships being sunk – advantage is that no bodybags would have to be sent back home to washington dc.
you funny and stupid
suppose only a canadian idiot can see anything funny in a situation where two nuclear countries are braying for war against another country not nuclear armed. so to even the sitution somewhat, there is just one way to go – to hope that iran has managed to secure some hefty weapons that can finish off the armada that a certified idiot, bolton that is, has ordered into the persian gulf or to the indian ocean. and as with armadas, they often end up on the bottom of the sea. but otherwise you seem to be just as stupid as the neo-nazis in washington dc.
Iran, do not sink them. It is like Admiral Akbar said, “It’s A Trap” This is just bait. They want you to do the next set up like Pearl Harbor and to give them an excuse to come and conquer your people. Just ride this wave until we the people elect Tulsi Gabard or Andrew Yang into office.
im sure iran knows. and know exactly when, where, and how to strike
Didn’t appear to deter the formation of ISIS a few years back.
KSA/UAE are not going to be able to make up lost global capacity if through aggressive U.S. actions, they find their oil production facilities up in flames (worst case scenario) or their exports impeded. (best case scenario)
Will they dare enter the Persian Gulf, or will they hide in the Arabian sea?
no they’ll stay outside in the indian ocean.
I vote the sea and they’ll send a few destroyers into the strait. They will lie, of course, and say the fleet. When the US start stopping and searching ships is when the game changes. I’m not taking any bets on the stupidity of my government.
Oil prices jumped to a six month high after Washington announced the ending of oil waivers. A halt to oil leaving the Persian Gulf would have serious repercussions economically. Even if the Strait of Hormuz is not closed market jitters will send energy prices shooting up, causing global recession one way or another. But that is not the greatest danger. A far worse consequence is the risk of the US and Russia (possibly allied with China) clashing. Washington, Moscow and Beijing say they have vital interests to protect in the region. When such interests collide nations go to war. We are heading for world war, as growing instability and the pattern of history predict. https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/