US aircraft carriers and Israeli fighter jets move closer to Iran; Tehran warns of retaliation

WASHINGTON: Military movements by the US and Israel targeting Iran have once again raised fears of war in West Asia. The United States has sent a third aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to the region, where two other carriers are already deployed. By early November, more than 20,000 sailors and Marines, along with hundreds of fighter jets, are expected to be stationed in the region.

Meanwhile, dozens of Israeli fighter jets have reportedly carried out surveillance flights near the Iranian border, using Syrian and Iraqi airspace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently said that the country was preparing for a possible attack on Iran. The latest military movements appear to support these preparations.

Iran, meanwhile, is preparing to retaliate in the event of an attack. The country has launched nationwide military exercises, during which it fired 30 ballistic missiles. Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council, warned that Iran would target oil refineries, underground cables and data centres if the US launches an attack. Iran had also recently announced that it was developing a new weapon called the 'Father of All Bombs' in response to America's 'Mother of All Bombs'.