Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin is pictured on the U.S. Naval Academy on Aug. 6 in Annapolis, Md.
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The U.S. desires to cease Iran and its allies from spreading battle within the Center East following the killing of Hezbollah’s chief in Lebanon, the Pentagon mentioned on Sunday.
“Secretary Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder mentioned in an announcement.
“Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people.”
The assertion comes amid considerations that battle may unfold additional throughout the Center East and spark a wider conflict after Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon final week. Israel’s army has indicated that it’s making ready to invade southern Lebanon and mentioned Sunday it had launched extra raids on targets in Lebanon.
The Division of Protection additionally mentioned it “continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and to dynamically adjust our force posture based on the evolving security situation.”
“The Secretary has also increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies,” Ryder mentioned within the assertion. “And DoD maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region.”
White Home officers mentioned Friday afternoon that President Biden had directed the Pentagon to “assess and adjust as necessary U.S. force posture in the region to enhance deterrence, ensure force protection, and support the full range of U.S. objectives.”
Iran offers weapons and different assist to Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen, whereas the U.S. is a robust ally of Israel and has supplied the nation with billions of {dollars}’ value of army support every year.
