US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered an aircraft carrier group to hasten its arrival in the Middle East, the Pentagon says as mounting tensions raise fears of a region-wide conflagration, AFP reports.

Austin ordered the aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln and equipped with F-35 fighters, to “accelerate its transit” to the region, said Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.

He said Austin, who spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Sunday, had also deployed the USS Georgia guided missile submarine to the area.

Ryder said the pair discussed “the importance of mitigating civilian harm, progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza,” and efforts to deter aggression by Iran-aligned groups in the region.