The officer in charge of the USS John McCain was previously seen in a picture holding a rifle with a scope mounted backwards
The Navy has relieved Cmdr. Cameron Yaste, the captain of the destroyer USS John McCain, of his command. This comes several months after a photo of Yaste holding a rifle with a backwards-mounted scope went viral. The image, shared on the Navy’s social media in April, showed Yaste in a firing stance. It was met with ridicule online, including from the US Marine Corps, which posted a picture of a Marine firing a weapon with the caption “Clear Sight Picture.”
While the Navy did not explicitly state the photo was the reason for Yaste’s removal, it said it holds its officers “to the highest standards and holds them accountable when those standards are not met.”
“The commanding officer of USS John S. McCain was relieved Aug. 30 due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command the guided-missile destroyer,” the Navy explained in a statement, noting that Yates’ removal has not impacted the ship’s mission or schedule.
In the meantime, the US has deployed two of its aircraft carrier strike groups to the Middle East amid growing tensions in the region, particularly between Israel and Iran. Washington has repeatedly said it would defend Israel against any potential attacks.
The USS John McCain is part of the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group. Last month it was also joined by the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group following the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, and high-ranking Hezbollah operative Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Israel has claimed responsibility for the killing of Shukr and has threatened to carry out more attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon. West Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the Hamas chief’s death.
Iran has vowed to inflict a “harsh punishment” on the Jewish state for Haniyeh’s assassination, sparking concerns in Washington that Tehran could carry out a joint assault on Israel together with various pro-Palestinian groups such as Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.