The United States military has moved some planes and ships to the Middle East as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate.
Two US Defense Department officials told CNN this.
Why the US moved planes and ships to the Middle East
The U.S. military has taken a series of steps to protect its assets and equipment in the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues, U.S. officials say.
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In particular, the US military evacuated all aircraft from its base in Qatar and moved US Navy ships that were stationed in Bahrain.
In addition, U.S. Central Command has pre-positioned additional blood supplies in the region, officials and a source familiar with the situation said.
They noted that this is standard operating procedure when there is a possibility of an attack on American troops.
One official called the changes preemptive planning amid Iran's threats to attack American troops and bases in the Middle East if the United States decides to join Israel in attacking Iranian nuclear facilities.
US aircraft were withdrawn from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar earlier this week, an official confirmed after receiving satellite images.
At the same time, all US Navy ships that were deployed to the US Naval Base in Bahrain left the port earlier this week.
It is not yet publicly known where exactly the US planes and ships have been moved due to the escalation between Israel and Iran.
