US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the military to remain on high alert as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates.

Tensions between the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah and Israel are on the brink after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Friday. The United States has a variety of assets in the region, and Austin wants them to be ready in case the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates. (Related article: Military mission in Iraq to end – but not a withdrawal, US officials say)

According to the Pentagon, Austin directed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln Strike Group to remain in the Middle East after it was rerouted there months earlier from scheduled operations in the Indo-Pacific. public relations person Major General Pat Ryder and Politico. The USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Force has also been directed to remain in the area, which means [Pentagon’s] The presence of fighter aircraft and attack squadrons has been improved. ”

I spoke twice yesterday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant about events in Lebanon. I expressed my full support for Israel's right to protect itself and its people from Iranian-backed terrorist groups. I emphasized that the United States is determined to deter Iran…

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) September 28, 2024

Austin “has also increased its readiness to deploy additional U.S. troops and increased readiness to respond to a variety of contingencies,” Ryder said in a statement Sunday. “and [the Pentagon] Maintain a robust and integrated air defense capability across the Middle East to ensure the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region. ”

The new directive could mean two aircraft carrier strike groups will be deployed to the Middle East for the second time in recent months. The strike group includes a variety of assets, including naval destroyers and fighter jets, and has been operating in the region since June.

White House Press Secretary John Kirby said the United States was also prepared for a potential move by Iran, which supports Hezbollah and has been directly or indirectly involved in the conflict with Israel since last year. . interview Sunday on ABC News.

“We have sent additional forces to the area,” Mr Kirby told the ABC. “We now have stronger forces in the Middle East than we did in April, when Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones, so we have a very strong military base to protect ourselves and protect Israel in case of a crisis.” military power already exists.”

“We have contingency plans for evacuations in almost every corner of the world,” Kirby said. “Everything that Secretary Austin is doing at the Department of Defense is to ensure that we have the necessary capabilities and planning and preparedness capabilities available to us.”

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