The United States will take “measures” if Iran threatens its interests in the Middle East, will reinforce its air defense capacity in the region in the coming days and has “additional” troops ready to be mobilized in case of “contingencies”, according to reports this Sunday ( 29) the Pentagon.
In a statement, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured today that “the US is determined to prevent Iran, its Iranian-backed partners and proxies from taking advantage of the situation or escalating the conflict” that has intensified in recent days with Israel’s bombings in Lebanon.
Austin warned that if Iran or its allies “seize this moment to attack American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures” to defend them.
The note indicates that the Department of Defense will “further strengthen” its air defense capabilities in the region “in the coming days” and has “additional” troops prepared to be deployed if it has to respond to “various contingencies”.
Despite the explicit tension in its statement, the Pentagon maintains that Austin and the agency’s leaders remain focused on “de-escalation through deterrence and diplomacy,” as well as “protecting American citizens and forces” and “defending Israel.”
The statement comes after the Israeli Army announced today that it killed more than 20 members of the terrorist group Hezbollah in the massive bombing of Beirut on Friday (27), in which its top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and the front commander died south, Ali Karaki.
An Iranian Revolutionary Guard general, Abbas Nilforushan, was also killed in that attack, a death that, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned today, “will never go unanswered.”
Over the past two weeks, Israel has launched an unprecedented series of attacks against Hezbollah’s main strongholds.
US announces having killed 37 terrorists in attacks in Syria
The United States Central Command (Centcom) announced this Sunday that it killed 37 terrorists, including leaders of the jihadist group Islamic State (IS), in two attacks in Syria in the last two weeks.
On September 16, US forces carried out a large-scale bombing of an IS training camp in central Syria, where the extremists are still present despite having lost territory in the country in 2019, according to a Centcom report.
In this operation, 28 jihadists died, including four leaders of the extremist group, the note detailed.
Last Tuesday, the American military launched an action in northwestern Syria, in which nine terrorists were killed.
Among them is a leader of the Hurras al Din group, an organization affiliated with Al Qaeda in Syria, which is present in the province of Idlib and west of Aleppo, the last bastion of opposition to the Syrian government.
“These bombings targeting the leadership and operatives of ISIS and al Qaeda affiliate Hurras al Din represent Centcom’s commitment to defeating terrorist organizations in Centcom’s area of responsibility and our support for regional stability,” said General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of Central Command.
Furthermore, the American general highlighted that “there are no indications that any civilians were injured in the attacks”.
Both IS and Hurras al Din are constantly in the crosshairs of the United States, which aims to reduce the capabilities of both organizations in Syria.
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