The US defense secretary defended the “need to dismantle the offensive infrastructure” of the Shiite movement Hezbollah after Israel launched “limited, localized and targeted” ground attacks in southern Lebanon.
On Monday, Lloyd’s Austin warned Iran against a “direct military strike against Israel,” highlighting the “grave consequences” for Tehran, according to a press release.
The Pentagon chief made the statements after speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“We agreed on the need to eliminate offensive infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot launch attacks against communities in northern Israel on October 7,” Lloyd Austin said.
Hezbollah has started firing rockets into northern Israel in support of its ally Hamas since Oct. 7, the day of its unprecedented attack on Israeli soil by the Palestinian Islamist movement in its war against Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Austin reiterated that a “diplomatic resolution” was needed to guarantee the safety of citizens “on both sides of the border.”
The US will send “a few thousand additional troops” to defend Israel
Hours earlier, the Pentagon announced that the United States would send “a few thousand additional troops” if needed to bolster security and protect Israel.
The forces being sent will include combat air defense units and will join the tens of thousands of US troops already stationed in the area, Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
Lloyd Austin “increased the facility to deploy more US forces, increasing our readiness to respond to various contingencies,” Singh told a press conference.
The announcement came hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had launched “defined, localized and targeted” ground strikes against Hezbollah terror targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Hours earlier, US President Joe Biden had said he wanted Israel to “stop” its ground invasion plans in Lebanon and called for a cease-fire at a time of high tension following the death. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.