U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday raised the possibility of Israeli retaliatory strikes against Iran, saying Israel should limit its attacks to Iranian military targets.
in interview Austin, with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, declined to comment directly on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s credibility as an ally. Austin spoke about what he believes is the best course of action for Israel when it comes to retaliating for recent Iranian attacks on Israel.
“Israel choosing to do this targeting will be their choice. In my view, if they’re going to do a military attack, it should be against a military target,” Austin explained.
“I’m not going to comment on the prime minister. What I want to tell you is that our commitment is to continue to help Israel maintain its right to defend itself,” Austin told Griffin. “Protecting civilians in the battle space and achieving military objectives are not mutually exclusive. Both Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah have military command centers located beneath hospitals, schools, and mosques to protect civilians. I used it as a shield to get through this tough battle.”
Griffin also said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has sent a letter to his Israeli counterpart in Austin saying that arms shipments could be withheld if Israel fails to establish a humanitarian corridor to Gaza within the next 30 days. He also touched on recent developments that he warned about. Austin declined to address specific responses, but reiterated his long-standing commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.
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“Jen, I don’t comment on communications. What I want to tell you is that my concerns about the provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians have been there from the beginning,” Austin said. (Related: ‘A very serious problem’: Private Austin admits North Korean military is supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine)
The conversation turned to the broader Middle East conflict, particularly the U.S. military’s continued defense against Houthi attacks that have required changes to shipping routes around the world and increased costs for consumers.
“We have been attacking the Houthis on an almost daily basis in recent months, and our goal is to deprive them of as many capabilities as possible. We continue our efforts to deprive them of their capabilities on a daily basis. “We will continue to do so,” Austin said.
Griffin concluded by discussing the economic impact of the U.S. military response to the Houthis, who are using low-cost drones and missiles against expensive U.S. military interceptors.
“I can’t speak to the Houthis’ strategy. I’ll tell you what mine is. My objective is to not allow the Houthis to cut off global trade through the Red Sea and roads. “Yes,” Austin replied.
U.S. forces targeted an underground Houthi weapons facility in Yemen last week, Central Command confirmed. The operation aimed to undermine the group’s capabilities and prevent further threats to maritime security in the Red Sea and attacks in the wider Middle East, which have been ongoing since the outbreak of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in October 2023.
U.S. and British forces previously conducted airstrikes on more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen, a U.S. official reported to the Associated Press. The coordinated attack was a response to recent threats by the Houthis to step up military action against Israel and disrupt Red Sea shipping lanes after they shot down another U.S. drone.
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