US to conduct military exercises in Middle East as tension with Iran builds
By Lex Harvey, CNN
(CNN) — US forces will conduct a multi-day air exercise in the Middle East as Washington bolsters its military presence in the region amid tensions with Iran.
The exercise would allow airmen to prove “they can disperse, operate, and generate combat sorties under demanding conditions — safely, precisely and alongside our partners,” said a statement from Lt. Gen. Derek France, US Central Command’s AFCENT commander and Combined Forces Air Component commander.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump warned an “armada” is heading toward Iran and threatened possible military action against the regime, which has launched a brutal crackdown on against a wave of anti-government protests.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has already arrived, according to a Monday post by Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East and West and Central Asia.
However, Trump is still considering his options on what, if any, action the US take on Iran and there is no indication any decision has been made, sources have told CNN.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” Trump said Friday.
The CENTCOM announcement did not specify the exact location or duration of the drills, or what assets would be taking part.
Tensions between the US and Iran have been inflamed in recent weeks over the regime’s bloody crushing of dissent. More than 5,800 protesters have been killed since demonstrations began late last month, according to a Tuesday report by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which said an additional 17,091 deaths are still under review. CNN cannot independently verify HRANA’s numbers, however Iran has admitted thousands of people were killed.
Trump has warned against killing protesters and had repeatedly threatened to intervene if Tehran does not change course. Last week, however, Trump said that Iran “wants to talk,” suggesting a possible diplomatic solution.
On Monday, the administration reiterated it is open to having discussions with the Iranian regime if “they know what the terms are,” a US official said.
Meanwhile, Iran has been escalating its rhetoric against the US, warning that any attack would be met with force that could of destabilize the entire Middle East. Tehran is “more than capable” of responding to any aggression from the US with a “regretful” response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told journalists Monday.
“The arrival of one or several warships does not impact Iran’s defensive determination,” he said. “Our armed forces are monitoring every development and are not wasting a single second to enhance their capabilities.”
In Tehran a four-story poster in the capital’s Enghelab – or Revolution – Square threatens the destruction of an American aircraft carrier, according to CNN journalists on the ground.
“If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind,” it warns in English and Farsi over an image of the deck of the aircraft carrier strewn with bodies and streaked in blood that trails into the water behind in a shape similar to the stripes of the American flag.
A few blocks away, another government poster shows the 2016 capture of a US Navy boat, its crew of US Marines kneeling in surrender, their hands clasped behind their heads.
According to CENTCOM, the readiness exercises will be conducted with approval from host countries and in “close coordination with civil and military aviation authorities, emphasizing safety, precision and respect for sovereignty.”
Other countries in the region, including US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have recently warned they would not let their airspace be used for any military action against Iran.
The UAE, which hosts American military forces at a base in Abu Dhabi, has said it will not provide any logistical support for military action against Iran either.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Mostafa Salem, Oren Liebermann, Joseph Ataman, Frederik Pleitgen and Claudia Otto contributed reporting.
