The US Department of Defense is focused on de-escalating tensions in the Middle East, but at the same time is ready to deploy forces in the shortest possible time, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said during a press conference.
“The United States remains focused on de-escalating tensions in the region, and we are also focused on securing a ceasefire within the framework of the hostage release agreement to bring all the hostages home and end the war in Gaza,” he said.
Austin noted that the US Department of Defense continues to take “steps to lower the temperature in the region and prevent regional escalation by Iran, its partners and proxies.”
“We are, as before, ready for deployment in the shortest possible time to counter emerging threats to our security, our partners or our interests,” the Minister of Defense emphasized.
According to him, the US will not tolerate attacks on its employees in the region.
“We have adjusted our military tactics to strengthen our force protection and strengthen our unwavering commitment to Israel’s defense and remain ready to respond to any contingency,” he said.
The Times of Israel previously reported that the US is moving about a dozen F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier to a military base in the Middle East as part of the Pentagon’s efforts to protect Israel from possible attacks by Iran, as well as to ensure the safety of US troops. .
On Monday, there was a missile attack on the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq. A representative of the Pentagon said that as a result of the attack, five American servicemen and two contractors were wounded, all of them are in a stable condition.
