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American aerial defence systems and a Navy destroyer helped Israel sprout down incoming ballistic missiles connected Friday (June 13, 2025) that Tehran launched successful effect to Israeli strikes connected Iran's atomic facilities and apical subject leaders, U.S. officials said.
The U.S. has some ground-based Patriot rocket defence systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defence systems successful the Middle East susceptible of intercepting ballistic missiles, which Iran fired successful aggregate barrages successful retaliation for Israel's archetypal attack.
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A Navy destroyer successful the eastbound Mediterranean Sea besides changeable down Iranian missiles heading toward Israel, 1 authoritative said.
The United States besides is shifting subject resources, including ships, successful the Middle East successful effect to the strikes.
The Navy directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is susceptible of defending against ballistic missiles, to statesman sailing from the occidental Mediterranean Sea toward the eastbound Mediterranean and has directed a 2nd destroyer to statesman moving guardant truthful it tin beryllium disposable if requested by the White House, U.S. officials said.
American combatant jets besides are patrolling the entity successful the Middle East to support unit and installations, and aerial bases successful the portion are taking further information precautions, the officials said.
The officials spoke connected the information of anonymity to supply details not yet made nationalist oregon to sermon ongoing operations.
U.S. President Donald Trump met with his National Security Council principals Friday to sermon options.
The forces successful the portion person been taking precautionary measures for days, including having subject dependents voluntarily depart determination bases, successful anticipation of the strikes and to support unit successful lawsuit of a large-scale effect from Tehran.
Typically astir 30,000 troops are based successful the Middle East, and astir 40,000 troops are successful the portion now, according to a U.S. official. That fig surged arsenic precocious arsenic 43,000 past October amid the ongoing tensions betwixt Israel and Iran arsenic good arsenic continuous attacks connected commercialized and subject ships successful the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis successful Yemen.
The Navy has further assets that it could surge to the Middle East if needed, peculiarly its craft carriers and the warships that sail with them. The USS Carl Vinson is successful the Arabian Sea — the lone craft bearer successful the region.
The bearer USS Nimitz is successful the Indo-Pacific and could beryllium directed toward the Middle East if needed, and the USS George Washington conscionable near its larboard successful Japan and could besides beryllium directed to the portion if truthful ordered, 1 of the officials said.
Then-President Joe Biden initially surged ships to support Israel, a adjacent U.S. ally, pursuing the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas that launched the warfare successful Gaza. It was seen arsenic a deterrent against Hezbollah and Iran astatine the time.
On Oct. 1, 2024, U.S. Navy destroyers fired astir a twelve interceptors successful defence of Israel arsenic the state came nether onslaught by much than 200 missiles fired by Iran.
Published - June 14, 2025 06:58 americium IST
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