The US has sent a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, as tensions grow in the region, writes BBC.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also said an aircraft carrier which was already heading to the area would sail there more quickly.

The move comes in response to fears of a wider regional conflict, after the recent assassination of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. It signals the US’s determination to help defend Israel from any attack by Iran - with Mr Austin saying US would “take every possible step” to defend its ally.

In a statement on Sunday, the Pentagon said Mr Austin had sent the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the region. It had also ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which is carrying F-35C fighter jets, to accelerate its journey there. The ship was already on its way to replace another US ship in the region.

It remains unclear what Iran could be planning to do. Meanwhile, another possible attack on Israel could come from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia and political movement in Lebanon.