By Amrutha Gayathri: Subscribe to Amrutha's RSS feed
February 22, 2012 6:38 AM EST
Recent indications and military movements from the Gulf region point to worsening hostilities between Iran and Israel, which by default involve Israel's ally, the United States. A senior U.S. official, who wished to remain anonymous, had recently said that Israel is considering a military strike against Iran seriously, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers haven't decided whether to attack or not.
Netanyahu, scheduled to visit Washington D.C. next month, has been maintaining extreme opacity over the war plans with its most important strategic partner, the U.S.
Here is a roundup of the recent military movements in the region involving Iran, U.S., Israel, NATO and Saudi Arabia.
Iran
Two of Iran's warships entered the Mediterranean last Saturday in the wake of U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon's visit to Israel to discuss Iran's nuclear weapons program with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is only the second time since the 1979 Islamic revolution that Iranian ships passed through the Suez Canal in an attempt to show Tehran's "might" to the regional nations.
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According to the U.S. Naval commander in the Gulf region, Iran has built up its naval forces in the Gulf and has readied boats that could be used in suicide attacks. Some of the Iranian boats are capable of carrying cruise missiles and rockets.
Speaking about military activity from the Iranian side, the head of the U.S. fleet in Gulf, Rear Admiral Troy Shoemaker, said on Feb. 17 that Iran had so far sent "a couple of surveillance aircraft, a helicopter and a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)."
U.S.
Washington sent Nimitz-class nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier into the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 14, which sailed provocatively close to the Iran shore accompanied by the powerful Cape St. George destroyer cruising along. An Iranian patrol boat immediately started tailing the massive U.S. aircraft carrier, but it was eventually turned around.
According to a Reuters report, encounters between the U.S. and Iranian boats have become more frequent in recent weeks, a constant reminder of the standoffish atmosphere of the region.
Iran had previously warned another U.S. aircraft carrier the USS John C. Stennis against entering the Strait of Hormuz over a month ago, but has been keeping quiet about USS Abraham Lincoln.
The U.S. Navy fleet known as Carrier Strike Group Nine has been making forays through Hormuz provoking Iran. According to military experts, U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet patrolling the Gulf of which USS Abraham Lincoln is a part, is equipped with scores of fighter jets and destroyers and is more powerful than Iran's navy. The 20-storeyed USS Abraham Lincoln currently has over 5000 sailors.
Israel
Israeli military will have to form complex strategies, involving scores of airplanes to launch a successful strike on Iran. According to a USA Today report, Israeli Air Force would face issues regarding aerial refueling in the wake of military action, since it remains unknown if any country is willing to provide Israel permission to set up covert refueling facility in the desert.
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