US urges Iran against retaliation as tensions escalate in Middle East
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III speaks during a press conference with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun during the US - Republic of Korea (ROK) Security Consultative Meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, October 30, 2024. (AFP Photo)
The United States is urging Iran to avoid any retaliatory moves following recent Israeli military actions, said Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Monday, as Washington continues to bolster its military presence in the Middle East.
“In terms of whether or not Iran does anything, I’m not going to speculate, nor will I discuss intelligence assessments from here,” Ryder told reporters. “I think we, as the U.S. government, have been very clear that we believe Iran should not respond to Israel’s retaliation. If they choose to do so, we, of course, will support Israel and their defense.”
In Israel, officials have signaled a potential response to any imminent threat from Iran. According to reports from Israeli military analysts, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reconsidered initial plans for an attack prior to the upcoming elections. Israeli forces, meanwhile, remain on alert, warning that any signs of an impending attack could prompt preemptive action, Israeli commentators reported Monday evening.
Late Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered additional ballistic missile defense destroyers, fighter squadrons, tanker aircraft, and U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers to the region. “These forces will begin to arrive in the coming months as the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group prepares to depart,” Ryder explained, adding that some forces had already arrived over the weekend, including B-52 bombers.
This heightened American presence, Ryder said, serves to “preserve the ability to protect U.S. forces and support the defense of Israel.”
Israeli defense forces recently launched strikes on Iranian missile production facilities and air defense installations in response to Tehran’s attacks on October 1. Regional instability has further intensified following Israel’s prolonged offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 43,400 Palestinian casualties, primarily women and children, after a Hamas-led cross-border attack last year.
The Israeli-Lebanese border has also witnessed an escalation in hostilities, with Israeli airstrikes resulting in more than 3,000 Lebanese casualties and injuring over 13,500 since the conflict expanded to Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.
