The US Department of Defense has just announced that Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant late on September 30.
"We agreed on the need to dismantle the attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot conduct attacks similar to those of October 7 (2023) on northern Israeli communities," Secretary Austin said in a statement after the call.
Fire burns in southern Lebanon early on October 1 following an Israeli attack
Last October, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory, killing about 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages. Israel's campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza soon after broke out, and has so far killed more than 42,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.
During the call on September 30, the two ministers discussed Israel's latest military operations and Mr. Austin made clear that the United States supports its ally's right to self-defense.
Israeli tanks in northern Israel, bordering Lebanon on September 29.
The call came as the Israeli military began its planned ground operation in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military announced that it had begun a limited ground operation in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, stressing that it would "not be a permanent occupation," according to CNN.
Despite his tacit support for the operation, Secretary Austin stressed that this troop deployment would not be the end, but that a diplomatic solution was needed to bring civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border home safely.
Israel begins ground offensive in Lebanon
The minister also said the US is ready to defend its forces as well as its allies and partners in the region against threats from Iran and its proxies. "I reiterate the serious consequences for Iran should it choose to launch a direct military attack against Israel," Austin warned.
Iran, an ally of Hezbollah, has vowed to retaliate against Israel after confirming that a deputy commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed in an Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon, on September 27.
An explosion in a residential area south of Beirut early on October 1.
Previously, Iran also accused Israel of assassinating Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in an incident in Tehran in July but has not responded so far. Israel has not commented on the accusation of assassinating Mr. Haniyeh.
On September 30, the US Department of Defense announced that it had taken measures to strengthen its defense posture in the Middle East amid rising tensions.
US F-22 fighter jets were deployed to the region in August.
PHOTO: US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group was ordered to maintain its presence in the region beyond the troop replacement period. Air defense capabilities were also added.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said the military is also sending additional F-16, F-15E, F-22 fighter jets and A-10 ground support aircraft to the area.
She said there was no sign of a retaliatory attack by Iran or Hezbollah against Israel but cautioned that any statements from Tehran should be taken seriously.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-ung-ho-israel-tan-cong-hezbollah-tang-cuong-luc-luong-den-trung-dong-185241001103409538.htm
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