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After Trump's Iran threat, USS Ohio class nuclear submarine seen moving in Gibraltar - Report
A reported submarine movement after Donald Trump's latest response to Iran ceasefire talks has raised eyebrows.
A reported submarine movement after President Donald Trump's latest response to Iran ceasefire talks has raised eyebrows. An USS Alaska, one of the US Navy’s Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarines, was seen arriving near Gibraltar on Sunday evening under heightened security measures, The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation reported.
GBC published photos to note that a 200-metre exclusion zone had been established around the South Mole ‘until further notice’, while a team of Royal Marines was also believed to have arrived on the Rock aboard RAF transport aircraft.
FOLLOW: US Iran war news LIVE: Trump calls Iran's response to US peace proposal ‘totally unacceptable’
As the report was out, several popular social media commentatos claimed that USS Alaska was headed towards the Mediterranean Sea. However, there is no evidence or report to back these claims.
The Ohio-class fleet includes 14 ballistic missile submarines and four guided missile submarines, GBC added. The report noted that each vessel measures roughly 171 metres in length and can displace nearly 18,750 tonnes while submerged, making them among the largest submarines operated by the US Navy.
Trump blasts Iran’s response
This came shortly after Trump publicly criticized Iran’s response to a US-backed proposal aimed at reducing hostilities in West Asia and the Gulf region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "I have just read the response from Iran's so-called "Representatives." I don't like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter".
Iran had earlier delivered its response to the American proposal through Pakistani mediators, according to Iranian state media. The state-run IRNA news agency reported: "The Islamic Republic of Iran sent today, through Pakistani mediators, its response to the latest text proposed by the United States to end the war."
The report added: "According to the proposed plan, at this stage, negotiations will focus on ending the war in the region."
Iran demands sanctions relief and troop withdrawal
According to reports, Tehran’s proposal included several conditions directed at Washington, including demands to ‘lift sanctions on Iran’, remove the ‘blockade on Iranian ports’, and ensure the US would ‘withdraw US forces from the region’.
The proposal also reportedly called for the US to ‘cease all hostilities’, including a demand to halt 'Israel's war in Lebanon'.
Read More: Zelensky accuses Russia of ceasefire violation, Moscow says ‘responded in kind’
Trump claims Iran’s military has been dismantled
During an interview with Sharyl Attkisson that aired Sunday, Trump claimed the US was closely monitoring Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles and warned Tehran against attempting to move them.
"They have no navy, no air force, they have no anti-aircraft weaponry, no leaders," Trump stated. The 79-year-old further argued that Iran’s military infrastructure had been devastated and suggested the country would need decades to recover.
He added that if the US were to pull back immediately, it would take Iran ‘20 years to rebuild’.
Trump says military operations may continue
Trump also indicated that Washington’s military objectives in the region had not yet been fully completed. According to the president, roughly 70% of intended targets may already have been destroyed, although he hinted additional operations could still take place.
