DOD Enhances Middle East Defense Posture

The Defense Department has taken steps to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. forces throughout the Middle East region to deter aggression and mitigate the risk of a broader regional conflict, the Pentagon announced over the weekend.

The announcement comes as tensions in the region have heightened following Israel's targeted assassination of terror group Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon on Friday.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spent the weekend providing guidance to his team and receiving updates on developments in the Middle East, according to a statement issued Sunday by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.

"Secretary Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict," the statement reads.

"Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people," the statement continues.

The measures DOD is taking include ordering the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group to remain in the U.S. Central Command area of operations past its regular rotation date; reinforcement of U.S. air defense capabilities; and using U.S. forces rotating into the region to augment rather than replace forces already there, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the media today.

"Secretary Austin and department leaders remain focused on the protection of U.S. citizens and forces in the region, the defense of Israel and the de-escalation of the situation through deterrence and diplomacy," Singh said.

Though not able to get into specific timelines and numbers due to operational security concerns, Singh said that some of the augmented forces being sent to the region include F-16, F-15E and F-22 fighter aircraft, as well as A-10 attack aircraft and associated personnel.

"The secretary also increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies," Singh said.

"And DOD maintains robust and integrated air defense capabilities across the Middle East … ensuring the protection of U.S. forces in the region," she added.

When asked whether the Defense Department has any direct knowledge of a retaliatory attack on Israel by Iran and/or Hezbollah, Singh said that, though DOD isn't aware of any specific plans, it's important to take all the rhetoric coming from Iran seriously.

"That's something we're watching incredibly closely; whether it be a response from Iran, from Hezbollah … [or] the proxy groups in Iraq and Syria," Singh said, adding that concern about such a response is the driving force behind the decision to bolster the U.S. force posture in the region.

"We take that rhetoric very seriously," Singh said, "and we believe that we [need to] have the capability in the region to defend our forces and - of course, if needed - to come to the defense of Israel."

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