The U.S. military revealed Saturday that it has deployed a nuclear-powered submarine in the Middle East in a show of force amid rising tensions with Iran.
The USS Florida — capable of carrying as many as 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles — began transiting the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, according to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which is based in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.
The submarine is being deployed in support of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, which is also based in Bahrain, to "ensure regional maritime security and stability,” said Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.