The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz remains in the Persian Gulf waters.

The Pentagon announced that it has reversed its previous decision to withdraw the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and that it will remain in the Persian Gulf. The US Department of Defense said the decision was made in connection with “recent threats” from Iran.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz has been deployed to the region since late November last year to monitor security in the Persian Gulf. The US Department of Defense had previously announced its intention to relocate the aircraft carrier.

On Monday, January 4th, the AFP news agency published a report from Washington announcing that the US Department of Defense has reconsidered the withdrawal of the aircraft carrier from the waters of the Persian Gulf.

According to this report, on the anniversary of the killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, the Pentagon has decided to keep the cruiser in the waters of the Persian Gulf to counter Iran's "recent threats."

On December 31, the US Department of Defense announced that the order to return the cruiser in question had been issued by Acting US Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.

The New York Times newspaper, citing US military officials, announced that the policy of withdrawing the Nimitz cruiser from the waters of the Persian Gulf was pursued with the aim of reducing tensions between the United States and Iran.

Following the recent increase in threatening remarks by some Iranian officials about the need to avenge the drone attack on the vehicle carrying Qassem Soleimani, the Pentagon has reconsidered the policy of withdrawing the carrier.

Christopher Miller said in his new statement: "In light of recent threats by Iranian leaders against President Donald Trump and other officials of the United States, I have ordered the USS Nimitz to continue its operations."

The acting US Secretary of Defense has said that no country should doubt the resolve of the United States. Miller did not elaborate on the “recent threats.”

On Sunday, January 3, thousands of people in Baghdad participated in a demonstration marking the anniversary of the US drone attack on the vehicle carrying Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, senior commanders of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which killed the two military commanders. They chanted slogans against the US and called for the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq.

Source: DW