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On Monday, a senior U.S. military official said Iran may try to take advantage of America’s troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the planned departure of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from the Arabian Gulf. The US military leaders are working under orders from President Donald Trump to find other ways to deter potential attacks by Iran and its proxies, as the Pentagon pulls troops out of the Middle East in the coming weeks. The official also said that Iran may try to take advantage of America’s troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan and the planned departure of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz from the Arabian Gulf. The official said the Nimitz must remain there now and for some time to come as a result, the military leaders have determined that based on the security situation in the region.

Moreover, the official said an additional fighter jet squadron may also be sent to the region if needed. Point to be noted that the Nimitz left the Gulf region and was set to begin heading home. But the ship was ordered to return last week to provide additional security while the continued troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. A US defense official said at the time that the decision would ensure the American troops could deter any adversary from taking action against US forces. The official made it clear that the change is open-ended and no timeline was given, and it’s not clear when the ship’s crew will return home. It is noteworthy that the potential Iranian threat has become an increasing concern in recent weeks following the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Iran has blamed the death on Israel, which has been suspected in previous killings of Iranian nuclear scientists. The US administration is also worried about a possible Iranian retaliatory strike on the first anniversary of the US airstrike that killed Iran’s top General Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leaders near Baghdad’s airport in January 2020. The military official said the US is aware of Iranian attack planning and threats. He said the major issue is Iranian-backed militias in Iraq as they may be willing to act even without the direction of Tehran. So, the presence of the Nimitz may cause Iran or the militias to rethink about a possible attack. Last month, Pentagon announced that the US will reduce troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan by mid-January 2021.