BEIRUT: Middle East tensions escalated on Saturday as Iran and its regional allies readied their response to the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, an act blamed on Israeli intelligence, spurring fears of a regional war.
Israel’s strong ally the United States said it would move warships and fighter jets to the region, while Western governments have called on their citizens to leave Lebanon — where the powerful Hezbollah movement is based — and airlines cancelled flights.
The assassination of Haniyeh, which took place in Tehran, followed a series of escalating attacks, including an Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah’s military chief, Fuad Shukr, earlier this week.
The escalation in regional tensions has prompted the United States to enhance its military presence in the region. The Pentagon has announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, replacing the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the addition of ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers to both the Middle East and European Command areas.
A new fighter squadron is also being sent to the Middle East to bolster defence capabilities amid fears of further Iranian retaliation.
On Saturday, Israel reported a rocket attack on northern Israel, with Israeli forces responding with strikes on targets in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah confirmed the death of one of its fighters and claimed several attacks on Israeli positions.
The assassination of Haniyeh, who had traveled to Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has exacerbated regional tensions. Iran has said it expects Hezbollah to expand its attacks beyond military targets in Israel and strike deep inside Israel, further raising the specter of regional escalation.
The United States warships and fighter jets are headed to the Middle East to help defend Israel in case Iran responds militarily to Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran.
In a statement, the Pentagon said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and Middle East regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defence weapons there.
The Pentagon did not say when the various ships and aircraft will be in place, but in a statement Friday it described the moves as necessary to “mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran’s partners.”
The statement also said the movement of more military capabilities to the region aims “to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defence of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies.”
The new orders came just hours after Austin pledged additional support to Israel during a call with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
“The secretary reiterated ironclad support for Israel’s security and informed the minister of additional measures to include ongoing and future defensive force posture changes that the department will take to support the defence of Israel,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said during a briefing.
The strategic increase in military assets comes after a dramatic spike in regional violence. Earlier this week, an Israeli strike in Lebanon resulted in the death of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fouad Shukur. This attack was followed by the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, who was in Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president. Haniyeh’s death has been attributed to Israeli intelligence, although Israel has not formally claimed responsibility.
Iran has reacted strongly to Haniyeh’s assassination, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemning Israel and vowing severe retaliation. “The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment,” Khamenei posted on social media.
The Iranian government has signaled that it will coordinate a response with key allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and various militias in the region.
Iranian officials said Thursday they planned to meet with representatives from Iran’s key allies — including Hamas, Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria — to plan their next steps.
“How Iran and the resistance front will respond is currently being reviewed,” said Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s armed forces chief, speaking on Iranian state TV. “This will certainly happen, and the Zionist regime [Israel] will undoubtedly regret it,” he added.
But US officials have repeatedly signalled that Washington would not leave Israel undefended and would come to its support.
In response to the escalating threat, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday discussed enhanced defensive measures. During their recent conversation, Biden reaffirmed US commitment to Israel’s security and outlined forthcoming defensive deployments aimed at countering threats from ballistic missiles and drones.
A US readout stated that Biden and Netanyahu “discussed efforts to support Israel’s defence against threats, including against ballistic missiles and drones, to include new defensive US military deployments”.
US defence officials Friday likewise emphasized Israel would not stand alone in the face of any Iranian response.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh underscored the US stance, asserting, “We will stand with Israel in their self-defence.” The Pentagon’s commitment includes a US Marine Corps amphibious ready group with approximately 4,000 troops already stationed in the region, alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which is expected to leave once the USS Abraham Lincoln arrives.
In response to the growing threat, Western governments have issued urgent travel advisories. The UK has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately, while the US embassy has advised Americans to depart on any available flight. Sweden has closed its embassy in Beirut and also recommended that its nationals leave the country.
The US embassy in Lebanon urged its citizens to leave Lebanon on “any ticket available”, despite ongoing flight suspensions and cancellations. The embassy’s statement emphasized that commercial transportation options remain open, urging citizens to book any available flights, even if they do not align with their preferred departure times or routes.
“Commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available,” the embassy said. “We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route.”
The UK government also urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country “immediately.” In a statement released on Saturday, Foreign Minister David Lammy stressed the urgency of the situation, citing heightened tensions and the potential for the conflict to escalate quickly.
“Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly,” Lammy said. “While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now.”
The UK Foreign Office announced it is enhancing its support for British nationals by deploying additional resources to the region. This includes “border force, consular officials, and military personnel” to offer extra assistance to embassy staff and provide operational support.
The Royal Navy’s landing ships RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Duncan are already positioned in the eastern Mediterranean to assist with humanitarian needs, while the Royal Air Force has put transport helicopters on standby.
“The potential for exit routes out of Lebanon – including roads – being affected, limited, or closed, due to events escalating with little warning, means that British nationals should act promptly,” the statement added.
