The Pentagon makes a rare move by publishing a photo of a guided-missile submarine travelling through the Suez Canal. It claims the vessel would “help ensure regional maritime security and stability.”
In response to rising tensions with Iran, the US military stated on Saturday that it had sent a nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine to the Middle East to “assist assure regional maritime security and stability.”
The statement also said that the submarine would operate in the Middle East in support of the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet, according to Reuters.
The Pentagon shared the USS Florida photo, which claimed that it entered the region on Thursday and was on its way to the Persian Gulf.
“It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to US 5th Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” Commander Timothy Hawkins said.
The rare movement came after accusing Iran of targeting oil tankers and commercial ships in the Gulf region in recent years though the Iranian authorities denied the allegation.
Meanwhile, Iran is accused of supporting several militant groups and their attacks on the US allies in the region.
Furthermore, Tehran has aimed to strengthen ties with China, which last month helped negotiate a deal to reestablish diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia and improve ties with Moscow.
This development and the new tensions between Iran and US in the region could provoke Pentagon to send a nuclear submarine “to ensure regional maritime security and stability.”
