US Strengthens Military Presence with Guided Missile Submarine:

• US-Iran tensions have steadily increased since the US controversially pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which had provided Iran with sanctions relief from Western powers.
• Iran has been forging stronger alliances with Russia and China, evidenced by its supply of attack drones to Russian forces in Ukraine and agreeing to a China-brokered deal to restore its ties with Saudi Arabia.
• In response to these developments, the US has stationed a nuclear-powered submarine armed with guided missiles in the 5th fleet, which oversees critical straits such as the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for global oil supplies.
• The patrol region also encompasses the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off Yemen and the Red Sea, extending up to the Suez Canal, a key link between the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can be launched from submarines and can target up to 2500 km away, were previously deployed during the US invasion of Iraq.

Recent Developments in Iran-US Relations:

• During US President Joe Biden's recent Middle East visit, his first since taking office, he leveled accusations at Iran for attempting to develop nuclear weapons and pledged to use force as a last resort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weaponry.
• The US president also reassured allies in the Middle East that the US has no plans to withdraw and allow a power vacuum that could potentially be filled by China, Russia, or Iran.
• Iran, however, refuted these allegations of nuclear weapon development and accused the US of stoking conflicts in the Middle East.
• Iran has also been accused by the UK, US, and Israel of launching attacks on oil tankers and commercial vessels in the Middle East region.
• The US Navy has reported several serious encounters with Iranian forces, characterizing their actions as dangerously aggressive.
• In March 2023, the US launched attacks against Iran-backed forces in Syria in response to an attack by these forces that resulted in the deaths of US citizens in northeastern Syria.