Extracts: U.S. forces continue to stand ready in the Middle East, should Iran or its proxies attempt to attack Israel, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Major General Pat Ryder said today
U.S. Central Command continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East and U.S. naval and air forces are "postured to support the defense of Israel and protect U.S. troops and assets in the region" Ryder said
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has made two calls this week to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to reiterate America's "ironclad" resolve to defend the country, the general said
There are now two U.S. carrier strike groups in the region centered around the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Abraham Lincoln There is also a squadron of F-22 Raptors deployed and the missile submarine USS Georgia is also sailing to the region
These forces will remain in the region as long as they are needed
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"We remain intently focused on de-escalating tensions in the Middle East, while also remaining focused on securing a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal to bring all of the hostages home and to end the war in Gaza" Ryder said
Ryder said the deployment of U.S. military capabilities to the region has sent a clear message of deterrence with the idea of preventing a wider regional conflict "Right now, we still assess that the conflict between Israel and Hamas is contained to Gaza" he said
"You have seen the cross-border strikes between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah since October 8, 2023 What you saw over the weekend, of course, was [on] a much larger scale than what we've seen previously but it is, in our view, not a wider regional conflict at this stage and so we're going to continue to stay very focused on de-escalation of tensions in the region"
