Top US naval commander in Middle East found dead The top admiral overseeing US Naval forces in the Middle East, Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, was found dead in his residence in Bahrain on Saturday, the Navy said in a statement. The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Naval Forces Central Command, which the Fifth Fleet is part of, oversees operations in areas like the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The command is seen as critical to US security interests given the challenges of Iran and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, both of which the US sees as potential threats to shipping in the region. Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, will fly out to the region Saturday to take interim command until a permanent successor is chosen, a clear signal as to how critical the Navy views the region. https://kxlh.com/cnn-us-politics/2018/12/01/top-us-naval-commander-in-middle-east-found-dead/