The President of the United States Joe Biden has ordered the Department of Defense to "assess and, if necessary, adjust the posture of American forces" in the Middle East, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA, referring to the White House.
The statement was released after Israel struck the headquarters of the Lebanese Shiite movement "Hezbollah" in a southern suburb of the capital Beirut.
Washington is providing strong military support to its ally Israel, while calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, according to Reuters.
"Biden directed the Pentagon to assess and adjust, if necessary, the posture of US forces in the region to enhance (the effect of – note r) deterrence, provide protection to the armed forces and support the full range of US objectives," the statement from the administration of the US president said.
It also says that the head of state has ordered his team to ensure that "US embassies in the region take all protective measures as necessary."
Biden has been informed "several times" yesterday on the development of the situation in the Middle East. A White House official added that Vice President Kamala Harris was also aware of the matter.
The US currently has about 40,000 troops deployed in the Middle East.
The United States still believes that a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the Middle East is possible, said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, amid today's Israeli strikes on the Shiite group "Hezbollah" in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut, reported AFP and Reuters.
"The path of diplomacy may seem hard to see at the moment, but it exists and, in our opinion, is necessary. We will continue to work hard for it,", the top US diplomat said on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
Washington believes that the way forward is through diplomacy, not through conflict, Blinken emphasized, and again called for a ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Earlier, the Israeli army announced that it struck the headquarters of "Hezbollah" in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut. According to local authorities, at least two people were killed and 76 people were injured.
"The most important thing we have to do is first try to get a ceasefire on both sides and then use the time we would have to see if we can reach a broader diplomatic agreement," he said. Blinken.
According to him, the elections that all countries in the Middle East will make in the coming days will determine which path the region will take and will have profound consequences for years to come.
However, he warned that the US "will take all necessary measures to protect US officials and US interests in the region".
The entire Middle East is threatened with being "pushed into the abyss", UN Secretary General António Guterres warned today, quoted by France Press.
He expressed support for the US and French proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
"The shock wave emanating from the dead and the unprecedented destruction in (the) Gaza Strip is already threatening to push the entire region into the abyss: a large-scale fire with unimaginable consequences," Guterres stressed at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Gaza.