The United States has deployed at least 12 warships to the Middle East, a defense official told the Washington Post, amid rising tension in the region following the Israeli assassination of senior officials in Hamas and Hezbollah, Paralel.Az reports citing Ahram Online.

The vessels included the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its accompanying warships, and the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, a three-ship amphibious task force that includes more than 4,000 Marines and sailors, the official told The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The official added that the rising tension in the Middle East has not prompted the Pentagon to announce any additional deployments, but the US Navy has assembled at least a dozen warships nearby.