The US Navy said the United States has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles to the Middle East. The submarine operates in the region in support of the US Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain. As the Associated Press noted, this is a move that appears to be a show of force against Iran in the context of the strained relations between the two countries.
The US Navy rarely discloses where it has deployed its submarines. Fifth Fleet spokesman Timothy Hawkins declined to comment on the submarine’s mission or why it was deployed to the region.
“The Florida submarine arrived in the area on Thursday and began transiting the Suez Canal on Friday,” Hawkins said in a statement. “It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles and has been deployed with the US Fifth Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” he added.
🇺🇸🚢☢️🇮🇷 US Deploys Guided Missile Submarine Amid Tensions With Iran – Associated Press
“It is capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is deployed to the United States Fifth Fleet to help ensure regional maritime security and stability,” Hawkins said.https://t.co/387qtLQ5Z9
– AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (AZgeopolitics)
April 8, 2023
The US Fifth Fleet patrols the key Strait of Hormuz, through which oil tankers carrying 20 percent of the world’s oil consumption pass. In recent years, US ships in the Persian Gulf have repeatedly come into contact with armed boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, which have intentionally crossed paths while sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.