The United States has pulled the USS Theodore Roosevelt out of the Persian Gulf, due to concerns in Washington over the Russian missile capability, says a military commentator.
The warship was withdrawn from the Persian Gulf on Thursday, a day after Russia fired 26 long-range cruise missiles from its Caspian Flotilla against terrorists in Syria, Pentagon officials said.
One of the reasons “impacting this decision is ...the unreliable ability of those Russian missiles,” said Michael Burns in an interview with Press TV on Saturday.
“I don’t think those are battle tested and US policy makers are afraid. God forbids one of those things land near our carrier or near one of our fleet elements,” he added.
US military officials, however, claimed that the aircraft carrier, which houses about 5,000 sailors and 65 fighter jets, was withdrawn because it needed to undergo maintenance.
For the first time since 2007, the US Navy has now no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow escalated after Russia launched its air campaign against Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Syria.
The airstrikes began hours after Washington refused to comply with Moscow’s demand to take its warplanes out of Syria.
The Associated Press reported last week that senior military leaders and defense officials are considering whether or not they should use military force against Russia if American-trained militants in Syria come under Russian fire.
The report said weighing the risks of using force in response to a Russian attack was also among the department’s issues.
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