TOKYO, October 18. /TASS/. More than 12,000 US Navy and Marine Corps personnel onboard 10 warships have either already arrived or will arrive soon in the Eastern Mediterranean amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Nikkei Asia reported, based on data from the US Navy.
The US aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford has arrived in the region with more than 4,500 sailors on board, accompanied by five ships carrying more than 1,600 military service members. The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower has also been sent to the Middle East, with 5,000 military personnel onboard, along with three accompanying ships carrying around 1,000 US military personnel.
Earlier, The Washington Post and Fox News reported that the US military was sending more than 4,000 troops to the Middle East. According to information from US defense officials, the troops include members of the US Navy and Marine Corps, including special operations units, the news media said. They are stationed onboard the amphibious assault ships Bataan, Carter Hall and Mesa Verde. The first two ships were in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, while the third was in the Mediterranean Sea. It has not been reported yet where these forces will ultimately be deployed.
On October 18, US President Joe Biden arrived in Israel, accompanied by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.