An unusual announcement about a US Navy submarine packed with cruise missiles is a loud message that puts Iran on notice

Such a public announcement on the movements of a cruise-missile submarine, also known as an SSGN, is significant and unusual, Bryan Clark, a former US Navy officer and defense expert at the Hudson Institute, told Business Insider.

Typically, he said, two or three of the four US SSGNs would be at sea at a given time, “and it would not be unusual for one to be in the Central Command region.”

“What is unusual is for the US to announce that it is moving,” he explained. “Normally, the DoD does not discuss submarine operations. The public announcement suggests an intent to deter Iranian aggression,” he said, referring to the Department of Defense by its acronym.

The US military has engaged in this sort of signaling in other instances as well. For instance, as tensions in the Middle East began to skyrocket last fall, the US military posted photos of another SSGN transiting the Suez Canal. And more recently, the US Navy put out photos of a ballistic missile sub in waters off northern Europe in another flex of US naval might.

Still, the practice of announcing submarine movements is uncommon.

“Secretary Austin actually saying the Georgia is going to be in the area is extremely unusual, but it’s sending that deterrence signal to a lot of people who might be considering what they’re going to do next within the region,” retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, the former top Army general in Europe, told CNN this week.

Iran has vowed to take revenge after recent assassinations of top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, which it blames on Israel. The stated intent in Tehran and among its proxies to retaliate has sparked concerns over a potential all-out regional conflict, putting the US, Israel, and other allies on higher alert.

The ability to send stealthy, highly capable submarines off the coasts of US adversaries reflects the far-reaching might of the US Navy.

Deploying a guided-missile submarine such as the Georgia to the Middle East also gives the US a major firepower boost. The Georgia is carrying over 150 Tomahawk missiles, making “it a significant strike threat” to a variety of key Iranian military assets, Clark said.

“While aircraft would need to fly over Iranian territory to attack targets deep inside the country, such as the nuclear weapons facilities or ballistic missile launchers, the Georgia could position itself offshore of Iran and hit any spot inside the country with missiles,” he explained.

That adds a significant capability to the US forces in the area in the event of a conflict. Ryder said Tuesday, though, that the primary US goal is preventing a fight in the first place.

“Our focus is on de-escalating the situation,” he said. “We have put these additional capabilities into the region to enable us, as I highlighted, to protect our forces, but also to support the defense of Israel should it be attacked.”