Why the US suddenly decided to send an aircraft carrier and bombers to check Iran

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force are being sent to "send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime," White House national security adviser John Bolton said in a statement on May 5, 2019.

This decision "represents a prudent repositioning of assets in response to indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces," acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said on May 6, 2019.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the new head of US Central Command, requested the additional firepower on May 5, 2019, after reviewing intelligence hinting at a possible Iranian attack on American forces and US interests in the region, The New York Times reported, citing a Department of Defense official.

Shanahan approved the request, and the White House announced it, stressing that "any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force." The White House statement emphasized that the US does not want war with Iran but is ready to respond if attacked.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated this point May 6, 2019. "It is absolutely the case that we've seen escalatory action from the Iranians, and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests," he said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The intel, according to Israeli media, appears to have come, at least in part from Israel, which reportedly provided information on a possible Iranian plot against US targets in the region or US allies. Fox News confirmed that the intel came from a friendly intelligence service.

CNN, citing US officials, reported that the intelligence suggested a possible attack on US forces in Syria, Iraq, and at sea. There were reportedly multiple intel threads.

"It is still unclear to us what the Iranians are trying to do and how they are planning to do it, but it is clear to us that the Iranian temperature is on the rise as a result of the growing US pressure campaign against them," an Israeli official told Israeli reporters. "They are considering retaliating against US interests in the Gulf."

US sailors prepare to moor USS Abraham Lincoln in Norfolk, Virginia, Sept. 7, 2017.

(US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jennifer M. Kirkman)

Tensions between Washington and Iran have been on the rise since the Trump administration made the decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. The US has targeted its military forces and is currently in the process of trying to cut off Iran's energy exports.

The latest firepower redirect, which Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson has been celebrating as a shining example of the opportunities provided by the military's dynamic force employment strategy, appears to be the US bringing out the big guns in hopes of being ready for anything.

The Department of Defense called the deployment "a prudent step in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests."

"It ensures we have the forces we need in the region to respond to contingencies and to defend US forces and interests in the region," an emailed Pentagon statement explained. "We emphasize the White House statement that we do not seek war with the Iranian regime, but we will defend US personnel, our allies and our interests in the region."

The Lincoln is currently in the US European Command area of responsibility, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, but it, along with US bomber aircraft, is being redirected on an accelerated timetable to the Persian Gulf, according to the Pentagon.

"The @USNavy is ready to maneuver around the globe to protect U.S. interests and security," Richardson tweeted May 6, 2019.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider. Follow @BusinessInsider on Twitter.