Message of deterrence
US sends nuclear submarine to Middle East
November 6th, 2023, 11:30 a.m
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Since the Cold War, the USA has been using nuclear-capable submarines primarily as a deterrent. Now they are reporting the arrival of one in the Middle East. The submarine is likely intended to serve as a warning to Iran and its allies.
The US military says it is present in the Middle East with a nuclear-capable submarine. On Sunday, an Ohio-class submarine arrived in its area of responsibility, the US military’s regional command (Centcom) announced on the X platform, formerly Twitter.
The military did not provide any further details about the destination, name or armament of the approximately 170 meter long submarine. The Ohio class are nuclear-capable submarines that the USA has been using since the Cold War, primarily as a deterrent. They may also be armed with dozens of conventional Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The broadcaster CNN saw the use of the submarine as a message of deterrence to Iran and its proxies in the region. Such an announcement from the US military about the deployment of an Ohio-class submarine is rare, the broadcaster said.
Immediately after Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, the USA deployed warships to the eastern Mediterranean, including two aircraft carriers. These also initially serve as a deterrent to prevent other militant groups in the Middle East from entering the Gaza war on a large scale.