The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today Sunday that Washington sees an escalation dynamic in the war ongoing in the Middle East, mainly because of Iran’s actions and the organizations it supports, in the wider region.

The US does not seek escalation, Blinken said during an interview with NBC News.

Blinken added that the US hopes more hostages will be freed by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

The US is sending additional air defense systems and a 3rd aircraft carrier to the Middle East

The deployment of a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile system and more Patriots to the Middle East, the US Department of Defense announced, in response to recent attacks against US troops in the region.

“After extensive discussions with President Biden regarding recent escalating actions by Iran and by adjacent (Tehran) forces in the Middle East, I today ordered a series of additional measures to further strengthen US positions in the region and Israel’s defenses,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.

According to her, the giant aircraft carrier Eisenhower will sail to the area, to reinforce the “Gerald Ford” which is already in Eastern Mediterranean.

The Eisenhower will reportedly pass through the Suez Canal for deployment in the Persian Gulf or Arabian Sea.

The last time the United States mobilized two aircraft carriers in the Middle East was in 2020, after a rocket attack on Camp Taji in Iraq that killed two American soldiers.

The US Secretary of Defense also announced that he raised to additional military force on standbywhich will be ready to be deployed in the area if deemed necessary.

However, he did not go into details about the number of American soldiers.