{"id":12689,"date":"2019-05-11T02:27:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-11T02:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/11\/patriot-missiles-and-an-amphibious-transport-ship-sent-to-middle-east-to-deter-iran\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:45:28","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:45:28","slug":"patriot-missiles-and-an-amphibious-transport-ship-sent-to-middle-east-to-deter-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2019\/05\/11\/patriot-missiles-and-an-amphibious-transport-ship-sent-to-middle-east-to-deter-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriot missiles, amphibious transport dock deploy to deter Iranian ‘threats\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pentagon has approved the movement of a Patriot missile system<\/a> and the amphibious transport dock <\/a>Arlington to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, defense officials announced Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The assets were part of CENTCOM\u2019s original request for forces earlier this week. The movement of extra systems was approved by Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These new assets will join the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group<\/a> and a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber task force<\/a> in the Middle East region in response to what the Pentagon calls \u201cindications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against U.S. forces and our interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lincoln skipped a planned port of call in Croatia and passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea on Thursday, the Navy announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, touched down at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Thursday, as well, according to the Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that Iran understand that an attack on Americans or our interests would be met with an appropriate response,” Shanahan told reporters Friday. “We are in the Middle East to defeat terrorism, fight for security, the clandestine insurgencies are really what we are there to address but we will protect ourselves and that\u2019s very important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense officials have so far declined to comment on the record regarding the exact nature of the Iranian threat allegedly posed against U.S. forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\t