A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer docked Friday at Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat, underscoring close military coordination between Washington and Jerusalem as tensions continue to simmer between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces said the arrival of the USS Delbert D. Black was pre-planned and part of routine cooperation between American and Israeli forces, according to reporting. The port visit comes as the United States continues to reposition military assets across the Middle East, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly highlighted what he has described as a “massive armada” moving toward Iran, framing the buildup as a clear message to Tehran to negotiate a nuclear agreement and halt the killing of anti-regime protesters. The docking of an advanced U.S. warship in Israel fits into that broader regional posture.
The USS Delbert D. Black was tracked earlier this week sailing through the Suez Canal en route toward the Gulf. With its arrival in the region, the ship is likely the tenth American warship currently operating within the area of responsibility for U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations across the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. The steady movement of naval assets reflects Washington’s focus on maintaining readiness and deterrence amid escalating regional pressures.
The destroyer is an Arleigh Burke–class vessel, a mainstay of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. These ships are designed to counter threats across multiple domains, including air, surface, subsurface, and land-based targets. The class is equipped with the AEGIS combat system, a highly capable defensive and offensive platform that can track and engage aircraft, missiles, and surface threats. The ship is also capable of launching long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, a weapon that has played a significant role in past U.S. military operations.
More than 30 Tomahawk missiles were used during U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, highlighting the destructive reach and strategic value of vessels like the USS Delbert D. Black. According to the U.S. Navy, there are currently 73 Arleigh Burke–class destroyers in commission, with another 10 under construction and 16 more under contract, underscoring the importance of the class to American naval power.
While American warships regularly operate in the Red Sea, port calls in Eilat are relatively uncommon. The last such visits occurred in recent years, with the USS Nitze docking there in 2022, followed by the USS Truxtun in 2023. Each visit has served as a visible sign of cooperation between the United States and Israel.
The arrival of the USS Delbert D. Black in Eilat sends a clear signal of continued U.S. engagement in the region, reinforcing longstanding military ties with Israel at a time when Washington is seeking to project strength and stability in the face of ongoing challenges from Iran.
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