The pentagon has directed the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) to move to the US Central Command area of responsibility, which involves the Middle East as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high. The fifth among the Nimitz class nuclear-powered supercarriers, CVN-72, has been patrolling in the South China Sea and carried out live-fire drills and a replenishment-at-sea as part of its regular operations.

Visuals from Copernicus, a satellite data company that tracks maritime movement, showed the carrier and its strike group heading west away from the Indo-Pacific area. The strike group consists of guided missile destroyers, fighter planes and at least one attack submarine. The transition would at least take a week.

According to insiders, US military equipment from the air, land and sea is anticipated to arrive in the area in the upcoming days and weeks, reported Fox News. The intent is to offer armed alternatives to President Donald Trump in the event that he chooses to launch strikes against Iran. Officials referred to the movements as a part of “setting the force.”

If the president wants to use force then “this will be different, more offensive,” a source highlighted and added that US military strategists are planning a variety of possibilities that will rely on the actions of the Iranian government in the days ahead. Officials informed that nearly 30,000 American personnel are presently stationed in the US Central Command region.

Israel, Iran use Russia to discreetly assure each other: Report

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have informed the Iranian leaders that they would not attack the country unless the Jewish state was hit first, reported The Washington Post. The message was conveyed through Russia, only a few days prior to the unrest which rocked Iran in the last week of December. WaPo quoted “individuals with knowledge of the development” saying Iran replied that it would likewise abstain from a preemptive strike via the same channel.

Sources further disclosed that Iranian officials reacted favourably to the outreach but were suspicious of Israel’s objectives. The officials suspected that even if the guarantee was sincere, there continues to be a possibility of a potential of US assault on the Islamic Republic as an element of a joint effort executed by the two partners as Israel was focussing its arsenal on Hezbollah.

However, a senior regional official stressed that “for Iran, it was a good deal” to avoid any conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. US officials noted that the internal strife in the nation has already decreased its substantial backing for the outfit.

“Israel is giving the US the leading role (in any potential strikes against Iran), but there is no question Israel would love to see regime change because that would change the Middle East, as well as Hezbollah. But Israel could be a target for the Iranian response, and therefore Israel has already taken a lot of steps to be better defended and prepared,” expressed Sima Shine. She was the chief of research for Mossad before becoming a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Israel’s goal at the time was to isolate Hezbollah if it lauched an attack on the group while keeping Iran on the sidelines. An Israeli official mentioned that the “same logic” might apply now with the country attempting to stop a direct confrontation between the two sides even if only momentarily.

The person added that regardless of what happens with Iran, strikes against Hezbollah, which was described as a “threat” remained a potential outcome. “The (Lebanon) campaign will take place, and Hezbollah will be heavily targeted, The question is if it’s during or after the Iran war,” the official asserted.

Trump announces “Board of Peace”

On 15th January (Thursday), Trump announced the formation of a Gaza “Board of Peace,” amid the violatile situation with Iran. He referred to the formation as his “great honor” and pointed out, “The members of the board will be announced shortly.” He called it “the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, any place.” Trump is reportedly going to preside over the panel which will include international figures to monitor its functioning.

The establishment of the board follows the unveiling of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic council tasked with overseeing Gaza’s regular administration during the dispute. Trump first recommended it in 2024 as a transitory body that would oversee a technocratic panel of Palestinian officials and manage Gaza’s rehabilitation. It has been created to oversee Gaza’s post-war government and direct political and security choices throughout the transitional phase.

Furthermore, Steve Witkoff, the president’s foreign envoy, also declared the start of Phase Two of the 20-point plan to resolve the Gaza crisis. “Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorised personnel,” he wrote on social media.

He emphasised that the US expects that Hamas would fulfil all of its commitments, including returning the last hostage who had died, and then threatened the jihadi organisation of “dire repercussions” if it failed to comply.

Witkoff also lauded the Phase One and remarked that it “delivered historic humanitarian aid, maintained the ceasefire, returned all living hostages and the remains of twenty-seven of the twenty-eight deceased hostages. We are deeply grateful to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their indispensable mediation efforts that made all progress to date possible.”

Trump’s plan proposed the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to assist with managing Gaza and provide training to Palestinian police units that have been vetted.

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