The United States is deploying the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, along with the Marines embarked aboard, to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This movement comes amidst rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border.
As reported by ABC News, US officials have emphasized that the deployment is intended as a deterrent to prevent a wider regional conflict, similar to past deployments in the area.
The Wasp is a powerful warship capable of projecting US military strength and carrying out various missions, including amphibious assaults and evacuations. However, officials have downplayed the possibility of an immediate evacuation and stressed that the primary goal is to deter war. The Wasp is joined by the USS Oak Hill and will soon be joined by the USS New York, forming a formidable Amphibious Ready Group with over 2,200 Marines aboard.
The Pentagon's action, reported Friday morning by NBC News, underscores growing anxieties about the potential need to evacuate American citizens caught in a volatile region.
American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NBC News that the move was made in close coordination with Israel. The development comes as Israel reportedly contemplates establishing a buffer zone along its northern border with Lebanon.
According to an analysis published by the Financial Times, satellite imagery, radar data, and interviews with local officials and researchers all point towards Israeli activity consistent with the creation of a buffer zone. The report cites extensive damage from Israeli airstrikes, including the complete destruction of buildings, and the use of white phosphorus, which has rendered a five-kilometer swathe of land north of the Blue Line uninhabitable.
The United Nations estimates that over 95,000 people have been displaced in southern Lebanon as a result of the ongoing conflict. A central sticking point in U.S.-led negotiations appears to be Israel's demand for a complete withdrawal of Hezbollah forces from the border. Sources familiar with the talks describe this demand as highly unrealistic, with a Hezbollah fighter quoted as saying, "It's like asking a fish not to swim in the sea."
Further complicating the situation, a Lebanese source expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of diplomacy and a potential buffer zone in preventing a wider conflict. The source raised concerns that Israel might seek a more expansive war aimed at eliminating Hezbollah entirely.
Israeli military officials have denied any intention of creating a buffer zone, insisting that their sole objective is to compel Hezbollah to retreat from the border. "We have no issue with UN forces or Lebanese civilians," an Israeli official stated. "Our sole concern is the elimination of Hezbollah's presence, as their sniper fire poses a direct threat to Israeli civilians."