US Deploys Missile Submarine Amid Tensions with Iran

Tensions between Iran and US reached a new high with the US Navy deploying guided missile submarines capable of carrying up to 154 tom hawk missiles to the middle east. Read on to know more about Iran-US Ties, an important topic for the IAS exam.

Deployment of Guided Missile Submarine:

• US-Iranian tensions have been on the rise since the US withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2015 with Iran called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action which provided relief from sanctions by Western powers for Iran.
• Iran is also building closer ties with Russia and China by supplying attack drones to Russian forces in Ukraine and agreeing to a deal to restore ties with Saudi Arabia brokered by China.
• Against this backdrop, the US deployed a nuclear-powered submarine with guided missile to the 5th fleet which patrols crucial straits such as the Strait of Hormuz where a significant amount of oil transit happens.
• The patrolling region also includes Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea stretching up to the Suez Canal, which links the middle east to the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from submarines can hit targets up to 2500 km range and were deployed during the US invasion of Iraq.

Recent Issues in Iran-US Ties:

• During the recent visit of US President Joe Biden to the Middle East, his first visit after assuming office, Joe Biden accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons and vowed to use force as a last resort to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear power weapons.
• The US president also reassured the commitment towards the Middle East that the US will not leave the Middle East to create a vacuum filled by China, Russia or Iran.
• However, Iran denied the allegations that it is building a nuclear bomb and accused the US of provoking crises in the Middle East.
• The UK, US and Israel also accused Iran of targeting attacks on oil tankers and commercial ships in the Middle East region
• The US Navy also reported serious encounters with Iranian forces which were said to be recklessly aggressive.
• In the month of March 2023, the US launched attacks against Iran-backed forces in Syria after an attack by Iran-backed forces killed US citizens in the northeast part of Syria.

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