Pentagon declares US carrier to stay in Gulf due to Iranian threats

Some reports considered that this decision to stay on the Nimitz aircraft carrier came because of the recent threats by Iran, a year after the killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, while others analyzed it as a sign of de-escalation between the two parties.

According to US media, this week it was reported that Christopher Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense, had ordered the aircraft carrier to return to its base.

While the "New York Times" newspaper quoted US officials that this step is a sign of "de-escalation" directed at Tehran to avoid a clash in the last days of outgoing President Donald Trump in office.

However, a counter statement appeared by Christopher Miller on Sunday, in which he said that he had "ordered the aircraft carrier Nimitz to halt its routine redeployment after recent threats by Iranian leaders against former President Trump and other US government officials."

Noting that "USS Nimitz will now remain in its position in the US Central Command's area of ​​operations."

This statement comes a year after the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Major General Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in an American air strike near Baghdad Airport.

T/S

ANHA