The United States announced this Tuesday that it will carry out air military exercises in the Middle East in the coming days, amid tensions with the Iranian regime and after the deployment of strategic assets in the region.
The maneuvers, reported by the US Air Force, are designed to test the deployment, dispersion and sustainment capacity of air power in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.
The exercise will be conducted by the United States Ninth Air Force, known as Air Forces Central (AFCENT), the air component of CENTCOM.According to the official statement, it will be a “multi-day readiness exercise” that will allow operational procedures to be validated in different scenarios and demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to contingencies in the region.
The Air Force detailed that the maneuvers will include the deployment of teams to multiple contingency locations and the verification of rapid installation, launch and recovery procedures for aircraft with reduced support packages.
“This exercise is designed to improve the ability to disperse assets and personnel, strengthen regional partnerships and prepare flexible responses throughout the CENTCOM theater of operations,” said the US Air Command.
The military authorities stressed that all activities will be carried out with the approval of the host countries and in coordination with civil and military aviation authorities.The objective, they added, is to validate rapid mobility of personnel and aircraft, distributed operations, logistical support and integrated command and control in a multinational environment.
The announcement of the exercises came a day after CENTCOM confirmed the arrival of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its battle group to the Middle East.
“The Abraham Lincoln strike group is now deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability,” the military command indicated, without specifying the duration of the deployment or the specific areas of operation.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is one of the largest warships in the world and is a central element of America’s naval power projection.Its deployment increases the air and defensive capabilities available to Washington in a strategic region crossed by open conflicts and geopolitical rivalries.
The U.S. military buildup comes as tensions with Iran persist, particularly following the crackdown on anti-government protests that erupted in late December following the collapse in the value of the Iranian currency, the rial.The currency reached around 1,077,500 rials per dollar, one of its lowest levels on record, which accelerated social unrest in several cities in the country.
Human rights organizations based outside Iran have reported a high death toll during the repression, although the figures differ widely from official data released by the Iranian regime.Authorities in Tehran have rejected those estimates and have attributed some of the violence to what they describe as the actions of “terrorists” and outside actors.
US President Donald Trump has warned that his government is evaluating different options regarding the situation in Iran, although he has also indicated that it remains open to a diplomatic solution.From Tehran, meanwhile, the theocratic regime has warned that it will respond if the United States or its allies launch attacks against Iranian targets.
The Central Command avoided directly linking the announced exercises and the deployment of the aircraft carrier with a specific operation against Iran.However, the Air Force indicated that the maneuvers will ensure that US assets are prepared to respond quickly and with coordination to possible crises in one of the most volatile regions of the world.
(With information from AFP and EFE)
