The American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has left the South China Sea and is heading west amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran to protect the military contingent in the region. According to the Marine Traffic service, the ship set off in the morning of June 16 after canceling a planned visit to the Vietnamese port of Da Nang, reports UNN.
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The official website of the US Pacific Fleet Command states that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group previously conducted maritime security operations in the South China Sea, which are part of the US Navy's planned presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
As two informed sources, including a diplomat, told Reuters, the visit was scheduled for June 20, but the official reception was canceled. One source said the US Embassy in Hanoi explained the change in plans by "urgent operational necessity."
Meanwhile, the Associated Press, citing US officials, reported that Washington has stepped up the transfer of military resources to the Far East amid concerns about a possible Iranian response to recent Israeli strikes.
Thus, the USS Thomas Hudner destroyer was ordered to head to the eastern Mediterranean, and another, as yet unnamed ship, began preparations for potential involvement at the request of the White House.
An unprecedented massive transfer of US Air Force air refueling tankers across the Atlantic has also begun. More than 30 KC-135 and KC-46 aircraft from bases in the continental United States have been sent to Europe. They are involved in supporting Israeli Air Force operations aimed at striking targets in Iran.