A US Navy carrier strike group equipped with F-35 stealth fighters is rushing to the Middle East along with a submarine packed with Tomahawk missiles

• The US is accelerating the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
• It is also sending a guided-missile submarine to the region, adding to existing firepower there.
• The moves come amid soaring tensions and fears that Iran and its proxies could attack Israel.

The US is accelerating the deployment of a carrier strike group to the Middle East and sending a guided-missile submarine to the region, the Pentagon announced late on Sunday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and then became the leading suspect in the assassination of Hamas’ political chief in Iran just hours later.

Both Iran and Hamas vowed revenge for the shocking killings, which sparked fears that any retaliation from Tehran and its proxies could send the Middle East spiraling into even more conflict.

In a move aimed at defending Israel and American forces stationed in the Middle East, the Pentagon earlier this month directed additional military assets to the region, including the Lincoln carrier strike group, additional warships that are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles, and a squadron of F-22 Raptors, fifth-generation stealth fighters.

The US already has a wide range of capabilities in the region. The USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group has been operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Pentagon has had warships operating off the coast of Yemen.