US aircraft carrier unexpectedly returns to Gulf region

The move comes after an Iranian scientist was killed on Friday in an ambush on the outskirts of Tehran. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was the leader of Islamic Republic's disbanded military nuclear program.

Indian Ocean:The United States announced on Friday that it has brought the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier back into the Middle East, an unusual move as the carrier already spent months in the region.

The Pentagon cited the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq as the reason for the decision, saying "it was prudent to have additional defensive capabilities in the region to meet any contingency."

This came after an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic's disbanded military nuclear program was killed on Friday in an ambush on the outskirts of Tehran, according to authorities.

Iran's foreign minister alleged the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh bore "serious indications" of an Israeli role, but did not elaborate.

Israel declined to immediately comment.

The killing risks further raising tensions across the Middle East, nearly a year after Iran and the U.S. stood on the brink of war when an American drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad.

AP Report