US could be preparing for long struggle in Middle East as Iranian plots multiply

The U.S. Navy appears to be preparing for a protracted conflict with Iran in the Middle East, according to a report from the Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI) group.

NOSI said that new defensive assets are being moved to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class, nuclear aircraft carrier that is in the Persian Gulf roughly 45 miles east of the United Arab Emirates and adjacent to Iran.

A squadron of helicopters that run anti-mining operations joined the Roosevelt earlier this month, as the Navy prepares for the “possibility of an attack on U.S. and allied forces in the region,” said NOSI.

In a call between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Austin also said he has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln, “to accelerate its transit” to the command area in support of the Roosevelt.

The Lincoln has advanced F-35C fighters.

Currently the Lincoln, which homeports in San Diego, is in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines and was scheduled to relieve the Roosevelt. 

The United States Naval Institute (USNI) said it’s unclear if the Lincoln, which is also a Nimitz-class carrier, would operate in tandem with the Roosevelt or if the Roosevelt would cycle out of the Middle East back to the Pacific. 

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Austin has moved the USS Georgia, a guided missile submarine, which carries up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, to the Middle East in support of the two aircraft carriers. 

Additionally, the Georgia has lock-out chambers which can support the “clandestine insertion and retrieval of [special forces] personnel,” said the Navy. 

The Georgia previously operated as a nuclear ballistic submarine, said USNI. 

The moves come amid escalations by Iran, which has threatened retaliatory attacks against Israel and the U.S. for Israel’s targeted killing of Ismail Haniyeh, said the Associated Press.  

Haniyeh, a Hamas leader who has been designated a terrorist by Israel and the U.S., was targeted earlier this month by Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack of innocent civilians in Israel by Hamas reignited conflict over the Palestinian territories. 

Iran has taken action recently to indicate the U.S. is an active target for retaliation.  

Last week, the Justice Department (DOJ) charged Asif Raza Merchant, 46, with murder-for-hire as part of an alleged scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil.  

The DOJ alleges that Merchant has ties to Iran and has implied he worked under Iranian control. 

“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray, in the DOJ statement about the charges. 

The DOJ also said Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes including: stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; planning a protest; and killing a politician or government official. 

The FBI also said it was investigating a cyber-attack on the Trump campaign that emanated from Iran, as well as attempts to hack Biden and Harris campaign officials.  

The White House said it expects “significant attacks by Iran or its proxies in the Middle East as soon as this week,” reported Reuters. 

“We share the same concerns and expectations that our Israeli counterparts have with respect to potential timing here. Could be this week. We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. 

The White House moves signal the U.S. is prepared to back up Israeli action to protect itself from Iran, even if it means a widening of the war.  

“We obviously don’t want to see Israel have to defend itself against another onslaught, like they did in April. But, if that’s what comes at them, we will continue to help them defend themselves,” Kirby told reporters, reported the Times of Israel.  

Iran has been creating closer ties between Russia, China and the Iranian ayatollahs, U.S. military officials told Congress. 

“I’m very concerned about this renewed relationship between Russia, China and Iran. What we’re seeing is Iran is reliant on China and Russia is reliant on Iran,” U.S. Central Command head Gen. Michael Kurilla told the House Armed Services Committee.  

Iran has been providing drones for Russia’s war in Ukraine and has even built a drone factory inside Russia, reported Breaking Defense.  

In an interview with Elon Musk Monday night, former President Donald Trump blamed President Biden for creating an atmosphere conducive to a widening war.  

“I said, ‘This guy’s going to cause a war. He’s going to cause this. And let me tell you, it can lead to World War III. That can lead to World War III in the Middle East. … We have numerous places that could end up in World War III right now, for no reason,” said Trump.  

According to NOSI, at the very least, Biden is preparing for another, lengthy proxy war, like that in Ukraine, by the naval moves made this week affecting the Persian Gulf.