A U.S. Navy destroyer has docked at the Israeli port of Eilat, Israel's Ynet news website reported on Friday, citing the military, as tensions between Washington and Iran escalate.
Eilat, Israel © Mena Today
A U.S. Navy destroyer has docked at the Israeli port of Eilat, Israel's Ynet news website reported on Friday, citing the military, as tensions between Washington and Iran escalate.
Ynet said the arrival of the destroyer at the southern port on the Gulf of Aqaba, 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 deployment comes as U.S. President Donald Trump signalled he was open to talks with Iran, even as Washington dispatched 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 decides.
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
Iran plans to designate the armed forces of European Union countries that have blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as "terrorists", according to a post by top Iranian security official Ali Larijani on X.
The United States is considering new military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran over its deadly suppression of protests this month.
Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing on Sunday for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt, the Israeli government agency that coordinates civilian policy in Gaza, COGAT, said on Friday.
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