[ad_1]
WashingtonThe United States plans to bolster its defense capabilities in the Middle East to protect U.S. troops and help defend Israel, the Pentagon said Friday.
Sabrina Singer, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will lead multiple operations to “enhance the protection of U.S. forces throughout the region, provide greater support to Israel’s defense and ensure the United States is prepared to respond to this crisis.”
Earlier, Iran and its regional allies vowed to retaliate for the killing of a leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Tehran and a commander of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah in Beirut, raising concerns about a wider conflict in the region.
Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on Tuesday, a move it said was in response to rocket fire from the annexed Golan Heights last week that killed 12 people. Hours later, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyehwas killed in the Iranian capital. Israel has not yet commented on the attack, although the group and Iran have blamed it on Israeli forces.
Iranian officials met in Tehran on Wednesday with representatives of the so-called “resistance axis”, a loose alliance of Tehran-backed groups hostile to Israel, to discuss their next moves, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP.
“Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response by Iran and its allies, or a staggered response by all parties,” the source said.
been: Hamas announces meeting to elect new political leaders
In April, Iran carried out its first direct attack on Israeli territory, killing members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards – the Islamic State’s ideological wing – from Tehran to its consulate in Damascus in an attack blamed on Israel.
American troops help defend Israel from attack.
“We will persecute Israel”
Iranian state television broadcast live footage of Haniyeh’s funeral, showing his coffin and that of his bodyguards, draped with Palestinian flags, being carried through the streets of Tehran, where thousands of people had gathered.
“We will pursue Israel until it is torn off Palestinian soil,” Hamas foreign affairs chief Khalil Haya said at the funeral.
The man responsible for leading the prayers for Haniyeh was the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had threatened “severe punishment” against Israel for Haniyeh’s death.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the conservative speaker of Iran’s parliament, assured that Iran “will obey the orders of the supreme leader.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured that Israel is ready “for any scenario, defensive or offensive.”
The international community called for calm and focused efforts on ensuring a ceasefire in Gaza.
US diplomacy chief Antony Blinken urged “all parties” in the Middle East to engage in “dialogue” and “cease any actions that lead to escalation”.
been: Iran, allies plan coordinated response after Israeli attack
The White House announced that President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak with Netanyahu on Thursday to emphasize that the United States is “making tremendous efforts” to avoid a large-scale conflict.
Representatives of the so-called “resistance axis”, which includes Iran and its regional allies, met in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss next steps, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP.
“Two scenarios were discussed: a simultaneous response by Iran and its allies, or a staggered response by all parties,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
[ad_2]
Source link
