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Miller took the step over objections from senior commanders, a development first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by a defense official. He said he was sending the carrier home as a “de-escalation” tactic as tensions with Tehran continued to simmer. But the ship was also due to return at that time for routine maintenance, and the Navy had been pushing for departure, officials said.
After public threats from Iranian leaders over the weekend, Trump abruptly ordered Miller to return the carrier and keep it in the Middle East, according to two US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. internal deliberations.
The White House and the Pentagon declined to comment.
Miller said in the new statement on Sunday that the reversal was due to “recent threats by Iranian leaders against President Trump and other U.S. government officials.” But a senior defense official said there had been no change in the threat level leading up to the decision.
“The USS Nimitz will now remain stationed in the US Central Command area of operations,” Miller said. “No one should doubt the determination of the United States of America.”
The reversal came after Iranian justice chief Ebrahim Raisi implicitly appeared to threaten Trump on Friday, claiming that not everyone who had a role in Soleimani’s murder could ‘escape the law and justice’ – even though they were from the United States. President.
And on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif city ”new intelligence” Iraq, indicating that “Israeli agent provocateurs” are planning attacks on Americans, which some saw as a preemptive effort to deflect blame for any attack.
“Watch out for traps, @realDonaldTrumpZarif tweeted. “Any fireworks will backfire, especially against your very best friends.”
Some former defense officials criticized the latest reversal, noting that the mixed message increases the risk of a miscalculation that could lead to conflict.
“When you already have an unstable situation, a tension between two powers with large military formations, the risk of miscalculation is higher,” said Dave Lapan, retired Naval Colonel who served as a porter. word of the DoD and the Department of Homeland Security. “It’s hard to see what the strategy is.”
Lapan also expressed his concern for the Nimitz sailors and their families, who were told they were only returning home to be abruptly dismissed.
In recent weeks, the Pentagon has sent B-52 bombers over the Persian Gulf as a signal to deter an Iranian attack. Late last month, the military also sent a guided missile submarine in an unusual transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and an additional fighter squadron to the area. The military also posted photos and videos of the flights and transits as a message to Iran.
The United States is reducing its troop level in Iraq from 3,000 to around 2,500 on Trump’s orders.
Deployments in the region reflect growing concern that Iran will take additional military action in response to Soleimani’s murder on January 3, 2020. Tehran’s initial response, five days later, was a ballistic missile attack on the Iraqi base at Camp Taji, which caused concussion-like injuries to approximately 100 US soldiers.
Even after last Sunday’s anniversary, the Pentagon is still on high alert for an attack by Iran on US or allied forces in the Middle East, according to one of the officials. The December 20 rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, which left no casualties, added to the tension. Days later, Trump blamed Iran for the attack and warned Tehran.
“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If an American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think about it, ”Trump wrote on Twitter.
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