US sends missile system and ship to Middle East as Iran tensions escalate

The USS Arlington, which transports amphibious vehicles and aircraft, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in the Gulf, officials say.

US B-52 bombers have also arrived at a base in Qatar, the Pentagon said.

It said the moves were a response to threats of possible operations against US forces in the region by Iran.

The US has given little information about the exact nature of the reported threat, which Iran has dismissed as nonsense, describing the deployments as "psychological warfare" aimed at intimidating the country.