(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Recently, Iranian ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) drones covertly recorded footage of U.S. and Spanish warships sailing in the Persian Gulf.
The video footage captured by these Iranian drones was subsequently shared on social media platforms.
The videos reveal that at least three warships belonging to the U.S. Navy and the Spanish Navy were navigating through the Persian Gulf.
The identified vessels include Arleigh Burke-class destroyers from the U.S. Navy and a Landing Helicopter Dock from the Spanish Navy.
The footage was believed to have been first published on social media on August 9.
In response to escalating tensions in the region, the United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East.
This follows threats from Iran to launch significant retaliatory strikes against Israel after the recent assassination of Hamas’ Political Bureau Chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
It was also recently reported that the United States has deployed 12 warships to the Middle East, as disclosed by a Department of Defense official to the Washington Post.
Among these warships are the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) aircraft carrier and the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, which includes three amphibious ships carrying over 4,000 U.S. Marine Corps personnel.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is currently operating in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, accompanied by six Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and USS Laboon (DDG-58). Four other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the USS Russell (DDG-59), USS Cole (DDG-67), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), and USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), are also part of the escort fleet.
Meanwhile, the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, consisting of the USS Wasp (LHD-1), USS New York (LPD-21), USS Oak Hill (LSD-51), and 2,500 Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is currently sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Israeli waters.
The group also includes the USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) and USS Bulkeley (DDG-84), which are currently in the Mediterranean.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt and the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group carry hundreds of fighter jets, which are likely to be deployed by the United States to defend Israel against missile and drone attacks, whether from Iran or its proxies in the Middle East.
Additionally, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has deployed 12 F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighter jets to the Middle East as part of efforts to enhance its combat power in the region, ready to counter any threats to Israel from Iran.
These fifth-generation fighters have reportedly landed at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. airbase in the Middle East, which hosts more than 10,000 U.S. military personnel and a variety of combat aircraft. – DSA