Pentagon reveals location of US Ohio-class nuclear submarine

The Pentagon publicly disclosed the location of a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed submarine on May 11 in a rare move that came a day after President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest peace proposal and warned that a ceasefire with Tehran was on “life support.”

The U.S. Sixth Fleet announced that an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine arrived in Gibraltar, a British territory on Spain’s southern coast, on May 10. The Navy described the vessel as one of its “boomers” — stealth submarines designed to launch nuclear warheads, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The port visit demonstrates U.S. capability, flexibility and continuing commitment to its NATO allies,” the Sixth Fleet said in a press release. “Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are undetectable launch platforms for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, providing the U.S. with its most survivable leg of the nuclear triad.”

The Pentagon did not reveal the name of the submarine, one of the U.S. military’s most closely guarded assets. The locations of nuclear-armed submarines are typically highly classified because of their strategic role in deterrence operations.

The disclosure came amid growing tensions between Washington and Tehran after Trump dismissed Iran’s latest counteroffer in ceasefire negotiations. Speaking to reporters on May 11, Trump said the U.S. ceasefire with Iran was on “life support” and described it as being “unbelievably weak.”

According to reports, Iran’s proposal included demands for war reparations, recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of U.S. sanctions. Trump called the counteroffer on May 10 “totally unacceptable.”

The Ohio-class fleet consists of 14 ballistic missile submarines and four guided missile submarines. The vessels are capable of carrying Trident II ballistic missiles and conducting long-term deterrence patrols. Guided missile variants of the Ohio-class can also carry more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

By Sabina Mammadli