In a rare move, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) revealed the location of a US Navy nuclear-armed submarine, coinciding with escalating tensions in negotiations between the United States and Iran regarding ending the standoff and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. Sixth Fleet announced Monday that an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine arrived in Gibraltar, a British territory on Spain’s southern coast, on Sunday, in a visit described as a demonstration of U.S. capabilities, flexibility, and commitment to its NATO allies.
The US Navy has not officially revealed the name of the submarine, but naval observers have speculated that it is the USS Alaska, one of the most secretive and stealthy US military vessels.
The Sixth Fleet said in a statement that the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the United States with "the most survivable component of the nuclear triad."
The U.S. nuclear triad includes land-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, according to U.S. military media outlets.
The Alaska is one of 14 Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, carrying Trident missiles with nuclear warheads. This class also includes four guided-missile submarines capable of carrying more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The appearance of US submarines is rare and is often intended to send strategic deterrent messages , especially since the locations of US nuclear submarines are usually subject to strict secrecy.
The submarine's presence near one of the most important maritime passages in the western Mediterranean comes at a time when efforts to reach an agreement to end the confrontation between the United States and Iran are faltering.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that the ceasefire with Iran was “on life support,” describing the agreement as “incredibly weak.”
Trump also wrote on the Truth Social platform on Sunday that he had seen the Iranian response to the American proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing the response as “totally unacceptable.”
According to reports, the Iranian counter-offer included demands for war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of US sanctions, lifting the blockade on Iranian ships and ports, and the gradual reopening of the strait.
The Wall Street Journal reported that negotiations over Iran’s enriched uranium, a major sticking point for Trump, who has vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, will continue for the next 30 days, citing informed sources.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported that the United Kingdom will send a destroyer to the Middle East, where it may join an international coalition to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle also crossed the Suez Canal into the Middle East last week as part of the same efforts.
Britain and France are scheduled to host a multinational meeting of defense ministers on Tuesday to discuss military plans for reopening the strait to commercial shipping.
The repercussions of the war led to a rise in global oil prices, while shipping traffic declined sharply in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil products usually pass.
Iranian Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the British-French mission as “a step towards further escalation,” asserting that only Iran is capable of guaranteeing the security of the Strait.
The appearance of the submarine “Alaska” in Gibraltar marks its second publicly announced visit to the disputed territory in less than five years, after it visited the port in June 2021, in the first visit by a ballistic missile submarine in more than 20 years.
That visit coincided with a US, NATO, and Russian buildup in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, amid escalating regional tensions. Days earlier, Russia had threatened to fire on participants in NATO's annual naval exercises in the Black Sea if its territorial waters were violated, following a crisis involving the passage of a British destroyer through the area.
Months later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sparking a war that continues to this day.
The Alaska is not the only US submarine to have visited Gibraltar in recent years. The attack submarine USS Indiana visited the port in January 2025, while the submarine USS Georgia visited in April 2022.
Tags:
america
