USS Nimitz to Stay in Middle East to Counter Iran Threat on Anniversary
Acting secretary of defense’s move marks change of heart after he had initially ordered carrier home to Washington state
WASHINGTON—The Pentagon’s acting chief abruptly reversed course, sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to counter threats posed by Iran, days after directing it to leave the region over the advice of top military advisers.
Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller said in a statement Sunday evening that he had directed the USS Nimitz to the Middle East, three days after ordering that it be sent home.
The move was a remarkable change of heart for Mr. Miller, who had previously ordered the carrier be sent home against advice by top commanders that the carrier needed to remain near the Middle East because it represented an important show of force at a time when the threat posed by Iran was high, officials said.
“Due to the recent threats issued by Iranian leaders against President Trump and other U.S. government officials, I have ordered the USS Nimitz to halt its routine redeployment,” the statement said. “The USS Nimitz will now remain on station in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. No one should doubt the resolve of the United States of America.”
The statement didn’t say how long the carrier would remain in the region.
Fears are rising that Tehran or its proxies may retaliate around the first anniversary of the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes. They were hit by a U.S. drone strike while traveling on Baghdad’s airport road on Jan. 3, 2019.
Late last week, Mr. Miller, who was appointed acting secretary after the firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper in November, directed that the carrier redeploy to its home port in Washington state. The ship’s crew was quarantined for two weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic and then deployed for nearly 10 months, an unusually long period, and Mr. Miller believed returning the ship home was necessary for its maintenance and the well-being of the ship’s crew, officials said.
“We are glad that we can conclude 2020 by announcing these warriors are headed home,” the Pentagon said in a statement Thursday about the carrier and its accompanying ships.
Other officials also believe Mr. Miller was convinced that drawing the carrier out of the region would signal U.S. interest in de-escalating tensions with Iran. The carrier is considered one of the most potent symbols of American military might, and its presence can send a message emphasizing U.S. military capabilities.
Military advisers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, and Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, who heads U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, had urged Mr. Miller to keep the carrier in the region, defense officials said.
But after the Defense Department said that the carrier was going to depart the region, U.S. officials became aware of many public statements from Iranian officials that they considered concerning, officials said. On Twitter, Iran Foreign Minister Javad Zarif repeatedly warned of plots to provoke conflict between the two nations.
“Intelligence from Iraq indicate plot to FABRICATE pretext for war,” Mr. Zarif wrote in a tweet Friday. “Iran doesn’t seek war but will OPENLY & DIRECTLY defend its people, security & vital interests.”
Iraqi officials have scrambled to prevent retaliatory attacks by militias, warning that it could lead to an aggressive U.S. military response.
The U.S. Central Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon didn’t respond to queries on Sunday.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has seen increased chatter among some militia groups in Iraq threatening to retaliate for the deaths of Gen. Suleimani and Mr. al-Mohandes, the official said.
There has been an escalating U.S. presence in the region. On Wednesday, the U.S. dispatched two B-52 bombers on a flight over the Middle East in a show of force directed at “anyone who intends to do harm to Americans or American interests,” according to the U.S. Central Command. In addition, an amphibious assault ship, the USS Makin Island, with a squadron of F-35s, is currently near the Persian Gulf.