US Warship Moves to Mideast Conflict

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz departed Southeast Asia on Monday, cancelling a planned port visit to Vietnam.

Reports suggest the warship is now en route to the Middle East, likely to augment the US military presence as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies.

According to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking website, the USS Nimitz was observed transiting the Malacca Strait towards the Indian Ocean at 13:45 GMT.

A Vietnamese government official confirmed to AFP that a reception scheduled aboard the carrier on June 20, part of its expected June 19-23 visit to Danang, had been cancelled.

The official provided a letter from the US embassy, attributing the cancellation to “an emergent operational requirement.” Both the US Embassy in Hanoi and a spokesman for the Nimitz declined to comment on the development.

The repositioning of one of the world’s largest warships coincides with the fourth day of escalating aerial conflict between Israel and Iran, which shows no signs of abating despite international pleas for de-escalation.

Iranian authorities have reported at least 224 fatalities from Israeli strikes, including senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

In retaliation, Iran claims to have struck Israel with a volley of missiles and has threatened “effective, targeted, and more devastating operations.”

Adding to the regional tension, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee stated on Monday that Iran’s missile barrage had caused minor damage to a building utilised by the American embassy in Tel Aviv.