EILAT, ISRAEL (VINnews) – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black has left Israel’s southern Red Sea port of Eilat following a brief scheduled port call, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced Sunday.
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The ship departed Feb. 1 after anchoring in Eilat on Friday, according to a statement from NAVCENT, the naval component of U.S. Central Command.
“This port visit demonstrates U.S. and Israel’s strong maritime partnership and shared commitment to advancing security and prosperity in the Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea,” the statement said.
The Israeli military confirmed the visit was pre-planned and part of routine ongoing cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. military.
During the stop, crew members from the Delbert D. Black hosted tours of the ship for senior staff from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Israeli Navy. Ship leadership also met with the commander of the Eilat Naval Base.
The port call occurred amid heightened U.S. naval presence in the region, including deployments tied to tensions with Iran, though officials described the Eilat visit as routine and unrelated to any immediate operational changes.
Port visits by U.S. warships to Eilat are infrequent, with previous examples including the USS Nitze in 2022 and USS Truxtun in 2023.
The USS Delbert D. Black, homeported in Mayport, Florida, is equipped with Aegis combat systems and is capable of missile defense, anti-submarine warfare and strike missions. It entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility earlier this year as part of broader U.S. force posture adjustments in the Middle East.