The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East is part of 'broad adjustments to US military posture'. Reuters
The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East is part of 'broad adjustments to US military posture'. Reuters

Bigger US military presence in Middle East has got into head space of Iran, Pentagon says



The increase in US military assets in the Middle East has got into the “head space of Iran”, the Pentagon has said.

“By surging capabilities into the region, by having two carriers in the Central Command [area of responsibility] … by moving destroyers closer to Israel … having a squadron of F-22s also in the region, I think that gets into the head space of Iran,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a briefing on Thursday.

She added that the increased US military presence “sends a very powerful message of deterrence”.

“And I think that gets into – you know, they see us positioning, should we need to support Israel – I'm sure that gets to their calculation,” Ms Singh said.

The US has expanded its presence in the Middle East amid fears of a spillover of the Israel-Gaza war.

In late July, Israel assassinated a commander of Lebanese Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in Beirut, and is widely held responsible for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has vowed to retaliate.

Commercial shipping and US naval vessels in the Red Sea are under frequent attack by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who are allied with Hamas in Gaza.

US bases in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by Iran-backed militias, with groups in Iraq announcing this week they were ending an informal truce over delays to the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

As of June, the US had several thousand service members stationed in the Middle East, and several thousand more on ships at sea in the region, although the numbers fluctuate, according to the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

Ms Singh said that the USS Abraham Lincoln, equipped with F-35 combat aircraft, had entered the Centcom area of responsibility.

The move was announced by Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin last week.

It is part of “broad adjustments to US military posture” aimed at protecting American forces, the defence of Israel and ensuring the US is prepared to respond to a wide range of contingencies.

The USS Lincoln joins the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which was already stationed in the Middle East.

Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm

Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km

Price: From Dh796,600

On sale: now

How it works

1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground

2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water

3) One application is said to last five years

4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare 

What is double taxation?
  • Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
  • Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
  • The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
  • Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday Stuttgart v Cologne (Kick-off 10.30pm UAE)

Saturday RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin (5.30pm)

Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Union Berlin v SC Freiburg (5.30pm)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (5.30pm)

Sunday Wolfsburg v Arminia (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim (9pm)

Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg (11.30pm)

Sukuk

An Islamic bond structured in a way to generate returns without violating Sharia strictures on prohibition of interest.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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Updated: August 23, 2024, 3:42 PM