US defends the “need to dismantle Hezbollah’s attack infrastructure” on the border with Israel

The United States Secretary of Defense defended the “need to dismantle the attack infrastructure” of the Shiite movement Hezbollah, after Israel launched “limited, localized and targeted” ground attacks in southern Lebanon.

On Monday, Lloyd Austin also warned Iran against a possible “direct military attack against Israel”, highlighting the “serious consequences” that this would imply for Tehran, according to a press release.

The head of the Pentagon made the statements after speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

“We agreed on the need to dismantle attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot carry out October 7th-style attacks against communities in northern Israel,” said Lloyd Austin.

A “diplomatic resolution” is needed to guarantee the safety of civilians “on both sides of the border”, reaffirmed Austin.

Hours earlier, the Pentagon announced that the United States will send “a few thousand additional troops” to the Middle East to reinforce security and defend Israel if necessary.

Deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the forces that will be sent include combat air defense units and will join the tens of thousands of US troops already deployed in the area.

Lloyd Austin “increased the availability of more US forces to deploy, increasing our readiness to respond to various contingencies,” Singh said at a press conference.