US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued an order to extend the presence of two aircraft carrier strike groups in the Middle East. The Pentagon reported in a statement that Austin revealed his decision during a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant. The statement said: "The Secretary reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense and continued US support for Israel's defense against Iran and its regional partners, and as part of this support, the Secretary ordered the maintenance of two aircraft carrier strike groups in the region." The decision includes keeping two aircraft carriers in the region for an indefinite period of time, namely the aircraft carrier "USS Theodore Roosevelt", which has been there for months, and the aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln", which recently arrived. The US Central Command announced earlier that the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying fighter jets, had arrived in the Middle East Source: National Iraqi News Agency