JERUSALEM - A US Navy guided-missile destroyer docked Friday at the Red Sea port of Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The military said the docking was "routine and pre-planned," part of regular cooperation between the Israeli and US forces.
The ship, identified as the USS Delbert D. Black, belongs to the US Central Command's Fifth Fleet, which oversees American naval forces across the Middle East. It reached Eilat after sailing from the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.
The docking comes against the backdrop of heightened US military threats against Iran. Some Israeli media linked the increased US naval presence to preparations for possible military actions.
According to reports, the USS Delbert D. Black is one of the US Navy's most advanced destroyers. It is equipped with the AEGIS combat system, a highly capable integrated radar and weapons network designed to detect, track, and coordinate defensive and offensive weapons systems against aircraft, missiles, and ships. The ship can also launch Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range precision strikes.