The U.S.S. Eisenhower has reached the Mediterranean on its way from the Red Sea, back to its home base in Virginia but will remain there to "assist" in any development that may occur between Israel and Lebanon, Sky News Arabic reported on Saturday. The Associated Press said early on Sunday that the carrier was off the Egyptian coast of Port Said, Egypt.
It had been part of the naval deployment to respond to the Houthi attacks on maritime traffic. On Sunday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that U.S. forces destroyed three unmanned Houthi surface vessels in the Red Sea in the past 24 hours. The U.S.S. Roosevelt that has been deployed off South Korea will replace it in the Middle East.
The reports on the naval movements come as concerns grow in the international community over a possible full-on war between Israel and Lebanon and the Israeli suggestions that its patience was running out amid the ongoing Hezbollah rocket and drone strikes on the Galilee.
CNN reported late last week that Israel was moving resources from the fighting in Gaza to the northern border area and that the Biden administration was worried it would launch a "blitzkrieg" against the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group. Officials told the network that there was a risk of the war expanding into a regional conflict. They also said that Israel's aerial defenses may not withstand Hezbollah attacks if swarms of drones and projectiles are used to target critical strategic sites.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer who was in Washington for talks was told by senior officials that the U.S. would support Israel if all-out war broke out although there would be no American boots on the ground.