Washington, DC – The Washington Post, citing a source close to the US administration, revealed that the Pentagon is increasingly concerned about potential Iranian retaliation should President Donald Trump decide to launch a military strike against Tehran. This comes amid escalating regional tensions and developments within Iran. According to the newspaper, these concerns coincide with a redeployment of US forces. The United States has withdrawn some of its aircraft, warships, and military personnel from the Middle East and relocated them to the Caribbean before a military operation related to Venezuela. This has impacted the overall US military readiness in the region.
The source explained that the US administration currently lacks sufficient forces within the area of responsibility of US Central Command to launch a large-scale strike against Iran without incurring significant risks of retaliation. The source noted that Washington has been forced to reduce the military presence allocated to Central Command in order to support other operations outside the region, particularly in Venezuela. The Washington Post pointed out that the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which arrived in the Mediterranean in the summer of 2015, was transferred last November to the Caribbean Sea, where it remains stationed. The Post also indicated that the aircraft carriers USS George Washington and USS Abraham Lincoln are currently deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. There are no plans to send the Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East at this time.
The newspaper added that previous Politico reports confirmed that the absence of a tangible US military presence in the Middle East significantly reduces the Trump administration’s options for using military force against Iran. The Washington Post also addressed developments in Iran’s internal situation. It noted that protests erupted on December 29th following a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial and quickly spread to most major cities. Iranian authorities announced the deaths of approximately 40 members of the security forces. Since January 8th, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has accused Israel and the United States of orchestrating the unrest. He also pointed to the presence of armed elements, which he described as “terrorist,” among the protesters. This comes at a time when President Trump had previously warned that he was seriously considering the option of using military force against the Islamic Republic.
