The sub’s deployment is the latest major US military build-up amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The US Navy has dispatched a guided-missile submarine to the Middle East.

The posting was revealed by the military in an announcement late on Sunday. The unusual revelation regarding the location of the ship, which can launch nuclear missiles, suggests a show of force intended to try to contain regional tensions amid the Israel-Hamas war.

On November 5, 2023, an Ohio-class submarine arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility”, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The Central Command area includes the Middle East.

The post by the Department of Defence unit appeared to show an image of the submarine moving through the Suez Canal.

Since the war broke out on October 7 between Hamas and Israel, the United States’ closest regional ally, Washington has  moved  significant military assets to the region, including two aircraft carriers and extensive fighter aircraft.

It has also announced the deployment of around 1,000 American soldiers, and the engagement of an unspecified number of special operations commandos, who are “advising” the Israeli military in their Gaza operations.

In addition, Washington has taken steps to beef up the defences of its Gulf allies, with a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system destined for Saudi Arabia and Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to be sent to Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, The Wall Street Journal reported.