ARAB AND WORLD
Thu 01 Aug 2024 3:46 pm - Jerusalem Time
Washington vows to defend Israel if attacked after recent escalations
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States would defend Israel if it faced attacks in response to its airstrike on the Lebanese capital Beirut that targeted the commander of Hezbollah's military wing, Fouad Shukr, and the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Hamas political bureau who was killed in Tehran.
Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s killing, but Israeli intelligence has a long history of carrying out covert attacks inside Iran, including assassinations. Both Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the killings and vowed revenge.
“After this bitter and tragic event that took place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, it is our duty to take revenge,” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on X.
The New York Times later reported that Khamenei had ordered Iran to strike Israel directly in response to Haniyeh’s killing. The report, which cited three unidentified Iranian officials, said he gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning.
Asked what assistance the United States would provide if a wider regional war broke out, Austin, who is visiting the Philippines, said: “We will certainly help defend Israel. You saw us do that in April. You can expect to see us do that again.”
Austin was referring to the United States and some of its allies intercepting Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel in response to Israel’s bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, on April 1. The bombing of the consulate, which killed a top Iranian general, led to Iran’s first attack on Israeli territory.
American officials claim to be working to ease tensions in the Middle East, but providing unconditional military aid to Israel and pledging to defend it from any consequences only emboldens Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which seems intent on involving the United States in a major war.
If Iran, Hezbollah and their regional allies decide to coordinate a major offensive, it could include targeting U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, which are vulnerable to Iranian missiles. Rocket attacks on those bases resumed last week, and the United States struck Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces on Tuesday, just hours after Israel bombed Beirut. Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The New York Times that a coordinated strike with Iran’s allies was an option, though they did not mention attacks on U.S. bases. Another option would be an operation similar to one launched in April, a combined missile and drone attack targeting military sites.
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Washington vows to defend Israel if attacked after recent escalations