Israeli Strike in Iran Should Mark End of Tit For Tat Between Two Nations

On Friday, Israel conducted a precision strike against military targets in Iran. The strike was a response to an Oct. 1 attack where Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles into Israel. While most of the missiles from that attack against Israel were destroyed before reaching their target, some did impact and cause minimal damage.

During a call this weekend with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reaffirmed the American ironclad commitment to Israel's security and support for its right to defend itself. He said Iran should not respond to Israel's strikes but should instead consider this the end of the two-nation exchange.

"We believe that this should be the end of this tit-for-tat," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a meeting today with reporters. "We don't think that Iran should or needs to respond. On Oct. 1, Iran launched the 200 ballistic missiles that were targeting civilian population centers. Israel's response was targeted at military targets. We see this as a way to off-ramp."

Since the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, 2023, and during the ongoing Israeli response to that attack, the U.S. has continued to emphasize that it remains well-postured to defend its forces, facilities and partners in the region and remains determined to prevent any actor from exploiting tensions or expanding conflict in the region.

"The secretary also discussed the opportunities that now exist to use diplomacy to dial down tensions in the region, including a hostage release and cease-fire deal in Gaza and an agreement in Lebanon that allows civilians on both sides of the blue line to return safely to their homes," Singh said.

North Korean Soldiers Train in Russia

The Russians have suffered some 500,000 casualties since their illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Now, said Singh, the Russians have turned to North Korea to get assistance in their ongoing war in Ukraine.

"We have seen reports from over the weekend indicating that [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] soldiers have started arriving in western Russia," Singh said. "We believe that the DPRK has sent around 10,000 soldiers in total to train in eastern Russia that will probably augment Russian forces near Ukraine over the next several weeks."

Some of those soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine, and Singh said defense officials are concerned Russia intends to use those soldiers either in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

"Should DPRK soldiers be used on the battlefield, this would mark a further escalation and highlights President Putin's increasing desperation as Russia has suffered extraordinary casualties on the battlefield," Singh said. "[It's] an indication that Putin may be in more trouble than people realize."

Later this week, Austin will host South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun at the Pentagon for the 56th U.S./Republic of Korea Security Consultative Meeting, Singh said.

The recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia will likely be a topic of discussion at the meeting, Singh said.