Washington is ordering a U.S. aircraft carrier to stay in the Middle East amid Iranian threats

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Miller said in a statement on Sunday night that he had “instructed the USS Nimitz to suspend its normal use. “The carrier will now” remain on the station in the area of ​​operation of the U.S. Central Command, “Miller said.

Last week, the acting Secretary of Defense had ruled against an attempt to expand the carrier’s use in the Gulf of Persia, a shocking move as tensions rise between Washington and Tehran around anniversary of the assassination of General Iran Qasem Soleimani last year. In the last days of 2020, the U.S. flew nuclear-capable B-52 bombers to the Middle East, prompting a top Iranian military adviser to tweet directly at Trump, warning him “not to turning the New Year into mourning for Americans. ”

Iran appealed to the UN Security Council on Thursday to stop the U.S. from carrying out what it called “higher military daring” in the Gulf and Oman Sea, citing its sent in nuclear-capable bombers to the area, claiming they did not want conflict but would defend itself if necessary.

According to U.S. sources, some Iranian military forces have increased their willingness levels in the past few days, after moving short-range ballistic missiles into Iraq, where they could to strike at U.S. bases, as Iran did in the days after Soleimani’s assassination last year.

Trump has consistently taken a hard line on Iran, with the two countries appearing close to war around the time of Soleimani’s death, although tensions had rested sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With the President’s tenure in office running out, some analysts in Washington suggest that Trump could pull off conflict with Iran from his basic efforts to halted his election loss and complicated his fan’s plans for the district.

“I’m really worried that the President might be thinking of disrespecting President Biden with some kind of military work on his way out the door,” said expert Tom Nichols international affairs who teach at the U.S. Naval War College.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif himself on Thursday accused Trump of creating a war case.

President Joe Biden wants to ease Trump’s “biggest pressure” campaign against Tehran, restore ties and return to Iran’s nuclear deal, all steps that hawk in the Trump administration genuinely opposes – and for all intents and purposes, some analysts say, if Iran carried out an attack of any kind, it would be carefully calibrated.

“Iran represents a real threat to U.S. national security, especially during this period of heightened threat as a result of the anniversary of the Soleimani assassination,” said Sam Vinograd, a former National Security Council official and CNN analyst.

However, Vinograd said, “I think Iran will capitalize on any attack related to this anniversary because they do not want to put a box on themselves before Biden comes into office and seemingly restarting nuclear talks that would increase sanctions. “

James Griffiths from CNN contributed to this report.

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