Top US general visits Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran

U.S. Air Force General C.Q. Brown, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, began an unannounced visit to the Middle East on Saturday to discuss strategies aimed at preventing an escalation in regional tensions that could lead to a broader conflict.

The visit comes as concerns grow over potential Iranian retaliation to Israel’s recent assassinations and airstrikes in the region.

Diplomatic mission to de-escalate tensions

General Brown’s visit started in Jordan, with plans to continue to Egypt and Israel. His trip is intended to gather insights from military leaders in the region as the United States seeks to mitigate the fallout from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Brown emphasized the importance of actions that could prevent any further escalation and avoid a wider conflict.

“We’re taking all appropriate steps to deter a broader escalation and ensure that we’re safeguarding our forces,” Brown said during his flight to Jordan.

Egypt warns

In a statement, Sisi’s office said the Egyptian leader told Brown that the international community needed to “exert all efforts and intensify pressures to defuse tension and stop the state of escalation that threatens the security and stability of the entire region.”

“(Sisi warned) in this regard of the dangers of opening a new front in Lebanon, and stressing the need to preserve Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty,” the statement read.

Brown did not make public remarks during his visit to Egypt, on which he also met the Egyptian Defence Minister and the country’s chief of defense.

US efforts to secure cease-fire

The visit is part of broader U.S. efforts to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas, a move that Brown believes could significantly reduce tensions in the region.

The conflict, which began after Oct.7, has already led to massive destruction in Gaza, causing over 40.000 deaths, a human tragedy.

This heightened tensions across the Middle East, particularly between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as other Iranian-backed groups seems to grow in the upcoming days.

In response to the growing tension and the possible retaliation from Iran and its regional allies, the U.S. military has reinforced its presence in the Middle East.

This includes the deployment of the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, an Air Force F-22 Raptor squadron, and a cruise missile submarine.

These measures are intended to deter potential attacks and protect U.S. forces stationed in the region along with Israel itself.