“Earlier today, the Vice President and I were briefed in the Situation Room on developments in the Middle East,” Biden said in a post on the X platform.
“We received updates on the threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to calm regional tensions and de-escalate, and preparations to support Israel if it is attacked again,” he added.
He concluded by saying: “We discussed the steps taken to defend our forces and respond to any attack against them in the place and in the manner we choose.”
Fears are growing of the conflict in the Middle East widening after the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in an operation attributed to Israel, and the assassination of Hezbollah’s prominent leader Fouad Shukr in an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, amidst threats from Iran and the groups it supports to respond.
In response to the escalating crisis, the United States has strengthened its military presence in the Middle East, sending reinforcements of warships and fighter jets to the region.
General Michael Kurilla, the top US commander in the Middle East, arrived in the region on Saturday, at a sensitive time as the United States and Israel prepare for a possible Iranian retaliatory attack.
The US Department of Defense announced at dawn on Monday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant, to confirm Washington’s position on the issue of supporting Israel’s security.
Source: RT + Agencies
#Biden #Vice #President #briefed #Situation #Room #developments #Middle #East
2024-08-06 21:28:01
