The US’s Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and warships have arrived in the West Asian waters as Washington and Israel anticipate a hard response to Israel’s assassination of Hamas chief in Tehran.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which is tasked with handing the country’s forces deployed to the region as well as other places, announced the development in a post on the X social media platform on Wednesday.
 
"USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped with F-35C and F/A-18 Block III fighters, entered the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility," the post read.
 
"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3, is accompanied by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9," it added.
 
The Pentagon ordered the carrier’s deployment to the region at the beginning of the month. On August 11, however, it ordered it to "accelerate its transit."
 
The carrier's arrival brings the number of such American vessels in the region to two alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The latter is, however, reportedly slated to leave the region later.
 
The Israeli regime staged a targeted killing operation against Tehran on July 31, assassinating Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas’ former Political Bureau chief. Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian.