Washington: The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea this week as the US positions warships to try to keep fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon from escalating into a wider war in the Middle East.

While the Wasp has the capability to assist in the evacuation of civilians if full-scale war breaks out between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group along the Lebanon border, that’s not the primary reason it was rotated in, a US official said. “It’s about deterrence,” the official said.

A second US official said the rotation is similar to the US sending the USS Bataan assault ship into the waters around Israel shortly after Hamas’ October 7 attack, with the vessel remaining for months in the eastern Mediterranean to help provide options and try to contain the conflict. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational details.

US officials said last week that the deployment of the Wasp was likely as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower,aircraft carrier and its air wing left the region.

The Wasp carries F-35 fighter jets, which do short takeoffs and vertical landings, so they can do airstrike missions off smaller ships.

US European Command, which is responsible for ships operating in the Mediterranean, announced the move this week, saying the Wasp and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard would sail with the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, which is used to transport Marines, landing craft, vehicles and cargo. The Oak Hill is already in the Mediterranean.

The Wasp also is sailing with the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York, which can deliver troops either by on-deck helicopters or landing vessels.

It all comes as Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border strikes since the October 7 attacks that launched the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and they have been escalating gradually.