US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said today that he does not consider a large-scale war in the Middle East to be inevitable, Reuters reported. He also stated that the US seeks to cool down heated passions in the region, while at the same time remaining firm in its position that it will defend Israel if the country is attacked, the agency noted, quoted by BTA.
The statement by Austin, who is visiting the Philippines, was on the occasion of yesterday's announcement by the Israeli army that it had killed the head of the strategic division of the Lebanese Shiite group "Hezbollah" Fouad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut. According to Israel, he was behind the rocket attack on the Golan Heights.
Late last week, a rocket attack from Lebanese territory on a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed twelve children and youths. In this regard, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting of his security cabinet, after which he visited the scene of the tragedy and declared that the strike "will not remain without consequences".
The words of the American military minister also come after the assassination of the leader of the radical Palestinian group "Hamas" Ismail Haniya in Iran, Reuters points out.
"I don't think war is inevitable. This is the opinion I hold. "I think there's always a place and an opportunity for diplomacy," Austin said in the Philippines. "Over time, what we see happening with Israel on the border, on the northern border (with Lebanon – ed.), is a cause for our concern. Again, we will do everything we can to ensure that we are able to prevent a wider conflict in the region," the US minister added.
When asked by members of the media if he could provide details about Hania's murder, Austin said, "I don't have any additional information to give you." Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that Haniya was killed, hours after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran.
The Palestinian armed group "Hamas" called the strike that killed its leader a "serious escalation" of tension, which will not achieve its goals.
Israel and Lebanon have not fought a large-scale war with each other since 2006, Reuters notes. "We certainly don't want anything like that to happen. "We will work hard to ensure that our actions bring the temperature down, and we will address the issues in diplomatic meetings," Austin added.
"We will certainly help Israel defend itself. You saw we did it in April. You can expect that we will do it again," added the US Secretary of Defense. He stated that the US is also concerned about the progress of Russian forces in Ukraine, and US military aid will continue to Kiev. Austin noted that he was encouraged by the Ukrainians' ability to recruit new military personnel.