US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has directed the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and the acceleration of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group's arrival.The order was issued on Sunday evening during a phone chat between Austin and Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Galant, as tensions rose following the deaths of key Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.Austin reaffirmed the United States' commitment to take every feasible measure to defend Israel, as well as the upgrading of US military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in response to growing regional tensions, according to the Pentagon.