US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will lead the deployment of additional American troops to the Middle East to bolster Israel’s defenses, the Deputy Pentagon Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said on Friday.
“Secretary (Lloyd) Austin has ordered adjustments to US military posture designed to improve U.S. force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies,” she said.
Singh added that Austin and President Joe Biden have committed to bolstering US force protection in the region.
“We will be bolstering our force protection in the region,” Singh noted.
Earlier on Friday, The New York Times reported that the United States is preparing to deploy additional fighter jets to the Middle East amid escalating regional conflict.
The paper noted that final approvals for this deployment will come from the Pentagon, but did not specify the number or type of American aircraft to be moved.
Additionally, two US officials revealed that a phone call took place between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, which the officials described as “difficult.”
Biden warned Netanyahu that if he escalated the situation, he should not rely on Washington to save him.
CNN reported, citing the US Department of Defense, that Iran and its allies are expected to launch a widespread attack on Israel within the next 72 hours.
Senior officials in the Biden administration are concerned that rallying the same international and regional coalition that previously halted Iranian attacks may be challenging, as the context this time involves the assassination of a Hamas leader in Tehran rather than an Iranian general in Damascus.
