Washington expressed its concern about the escalation in the Middle East after the recent bombings in Lebanon, while it considers the ceasefire agreement important to reduce escalation in the region, according to statements issued by the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department.
The Middle East is witnessing a state of tension after the bombings of wireless communication devices “pagers” and other communication devices used by Hezbollah, which resulted in deaths and injuries, killing 37 people and wounding about 3,000 others, which increases the burden on Lebanese hospitals and creates a state of chaos in the group allied with Iran.
White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre said that US President Joe Biden still believes that a diplomatic solution can be reached to stop the escalation between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah.
“Biden still believes that this is achievable,” she said in a press briefing. “The president still believes that we have to be optimistic and that a diplomatic solution is the best way forward.”
She explained that Washington “feels fear and concern about the potential escalation in the Middle East,” stressing the continuation of work to “find alternative diplomatic solutions to allow displaced civilians to return to their homes.”
The spokeswoman pointed out that “reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza will calm tensions in the region,” stressing the United States’ firm position “against all threats supported by Iran, including the Lebanese Hezbollah group.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant, to discuss regional security developments and affirm US support for Israel in the face of threats from Iran, Hezbollah, and Tehran’s other allies.
The US Department of Defense said on Thursday that there is no change in the US military position in the Middle East, in response to a question about the latest Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
“I don’t see any changes in the force posture in the eastern Mediterranean or in the Central Command mission area,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in a press briefing.
The Pentagon said that any attack that would escalate tensions in the region would not be helpful.
Asked about Austin’s call Wednesday with his Israeli counterpart, Singh said, “In almost every call, the secretary always reiterates the need to de-escalate regional tensions… We never wanted to see a broader regional conflict.”
Israel has not commented on the attacks, which security sources say may have been carried out by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
The Pentagon has been under pressure over the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip amid rising regional tensions, and said Washington does not believe efforts to reach an agreement are collapsing.
The spokeswoman added that the United States believes that the conflict is limited to the Gaza Strip so far.
“We will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, but we do not want to see any party escalate this conflict,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a regular briefing.
Although Miller urged calm, he acknowledged the limitations of American diplomacy.
“We have been engaged in talks in the region for some time, and of course, since October 7 we have been engaged in trying to de-escalate tensions. But at the end of the day… every country is responsible and every entity is responsible for the actions it takes,” he said.
A source familiar with the matter said that US Defense Secretary Austin postponed a visit to Israel that was planned for next week. Miller declined to comment on Austin’s schedule, but said that Washington would continue talks with Israel, according to Reuters.
“I will say that we will continue to engage in conversations with our Israeli counterparts on this,” Miller said. “As publicly reported, Amos Hochstein was in Israel on Monday, stressing the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic solution.”
Hochstein, the US special envoy, visited Israel this week to discuss the crisis on the northern border, where Israeli forces have been exchanging rocket fire with Hezbollah for months.
Lebanon and Hezbollah hold Israel responsible for the explosion of the communications devices, which Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said crossed all red lines.
