EILAT, Israel, Jan 30 (Reuters) – A U.S. Navy destroyer made a port visit on Friday to the southern Israeli city of Eilat on the Gulf of Aqaba, video footage showed, as the U.S. surges military forces in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran.
The footage showed it was the USS Delbert D. Black, one of six U.S. destroyers now in the Middle East, along with an aircraft carrier and three other littoral combat ships.
Israeli media reported that the arrival of the destroyer at the Red Sea city, near Israel’s borders with Egypt and Jordan, was pre-planned and part of ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Pentagon did not immediately provide comment.
TRUMP HAS WARNED IRAN TO RETURN TO TALKS
The deployment comes as U.S. President Donald Trump signalled he was open to talks with Iran, even as Washington dispatches additional military assets to the Middle East.
A U.S. defence official told Reuters the military could not discuss operational details for security reasons, adding that the safety of service personnel was the top priority.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military was prepared to carry out whatever course of action the president decided.
Trump has warned Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme or face far harsher U.S. action, while Tehran has threatened retaliation against the United States, Israel and their allies in the event of an attack.
Trump has also said the U.S. has an “armada” heading towards Iran, though he said he hoped it would not be used.
Israel’s Chief of the General Staff said last week that the military was prepared for a range of scenarios and was continuously improving its capabilities.
The commander of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Israel last week in a trip the Israeli military said was aimed at deepening strategic ties and strengthening defence cooperation between the two allies.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir in Dubai, Rami Ayyub and Pesha Magid in Jerusalem; Editing by Alison Williams, Gareth Jones and Alex Richardson)
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