Pentagon: US submarine in the Middle East aimed at "deterrence"

The US Department of Defense announced on Monday that an American nuclear-powered Ohio-class submarine is present in the Middle East to help prevent the worsening and expansion of the Israel-Hamas war.

The US Central Command released an image of the submarine crossing the Suez Canal on the previous day on "X."

Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder told reporters, "It is currently in the area of operations for the Fifth Fleet," referring to the region that includes the Gulf, the Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.

He added, "What this (submarine) is doing... is providing support for the deterrence efforts we have in the region," without providing further details.

Some Ohio-class submarines are equipped with ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, while others are capable of carrying over 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.


AFP