US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Sunday with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as Israel prepares for a retaliation by Iran to the elimination of Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh on its soil.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement following the call that Austin “reiterated ironclad US support for Israel's security and right to self-defense against threats from Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, Houthis, and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups.”
According to the statement, the two “discussed US force posture moves that the Department is taking to bolster protection for US forces, support the defense of Israel, and deter and de-escalate broader tensions in the region.”
“Secretary Austin also expressed strong support for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal,” said the statement.
Austin and Gallant previously spoke on Friday, hours before the Pentagon announced it would move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region as part of steps it is taking “to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or Iran's partners and proxies”.
Meanwhile on Sunday, an Israeli official told NBC News that Israel is bracing for a potential multiday attack by Iran and Hezbollah following the elimination of the two senior terrorists.
The official said Israel fears waves of missiles and drones could be fired over several days in response to the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
“They’ll just try to wear us out,” the official told NBC.
US officials told CNN this past Thursday that the US is expecting that an Iranian attack in retaliation for the elimination of Haniyeh may be similar to the barrage of ballistic missiles and drones launched against Israel on April 13.
The officials said that this time the attack could be larger and more complicated than before, including the possibility of a coordinated attack with Iranian proxies from multiple directions.