A statement published today, Sunday, on the official Pentagon website, said: “Secretary of Defense Austin was receiving updates and providing guidance to his team over the weekend about the latest developments in the Middle East… He and the leaders of the Ministry of Defense are focused on protecting American citizens and forces in the region, and defending Israel.” “And reduce escalation through deterrence and diplomacy.”
The statement added: “The Minister has increased the readiness of additional American forces for deployment, which enhances our readiness to respond to various emergency situations, and the Ministry of Defense continues to maintain integrated and strong air defense capabilities across the Middle East, to ensure the protection of American forces operating in the region.”
The statement stressed that the United States “retains the ability to deploy forces on short notice, and the ministry continues to maintain a significant amount of capacity in the region and dynamically adjust the position of American forces based on the evolving security situation.”
According to the statement, “The United States is determined to prevent Iran and its partners and proxies supported by it from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict.” Secretary Austin also made clear, according to the statement, that “if Iran, its partners, or its agents target American individuals or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures to defend its citizens.”
The statement continued: “Austin directed that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group continue to remain in the US Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of operations, and that the USS Wasp amphibious group continue to operate in the eastern Mediterranean, and he completes this positioning.” “With the presence of the Ministry of Defense’s enhanced attack fighter squadrons, including F-22, F-15E, F-16 and A-10 aircraft, we will strengthen our defense capabilities for air support in the coming days.”
Fears have increased that the conflict will turn into a broader war in the Middle East after the recent escalation in Lebanon, Israel’s assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, and its continued bombing targeting leaders in the Lebanese faction movement, coinciding with the ongoing war on Gaza.
The Washington Post reported, citing informed sources, that the administration of President Joe Biden finds it difficult to predict the reaction of Iran and the Lebanese factions to the assassination of Nasrallah.
According to the newspaper’s sources, the United States is preparing for several possible scenarios in response, including attacks by Hezbollah or other pro-Iranian groups, such as the Houthis in Yemen, in addition to possible attacks from Iran on American soldiers in the region or on Israel.
Source: RT
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2024-09-30 09:49:13
