The Guardian October 1, 2024
US secretary of defense Lloyd Austin has spoken with Israel’s defence minister, telling him that the US supports Israel’s right to defend itself.

I spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to discuss security developments and Israeli operations …
We agreed on the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hizballah cannot conduct October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities.”

Earlier today, the US announced it was sending a “few thousand” troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to defend Israel if necessary. The announcement came hours before Israel announced its operation in Lebanon.

The increased presence will involve multiple fighter jet and attack aircraft squadrons, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters. US officials said the total includes small numbers of other troops to augment the presence as well.

The additional forces will raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000

On Sunday, defense secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he was temporarily extending the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and its embarked air wing in the region.

Austin also addressed any potential threat from Iran, saying the “United States is well-postured to defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding the conflict.”

I reiterated the serious consequences for Iran in the event Iran chooses to launch a direct military attack against Israel.”