ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Pentagon, noting its “significant amount of capability in the region,” said on Sunday the United States is focused on protecting its forces, US citizens, and Israel, following a call yesterday between the US and Israeli defense ministers. After Israel assassinated Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held a call on Saturday. Austin “emphasized that the United States remains postured to defend U.S. forces in the region,” according to a US readout. The United States has forces, interests, and diplomats throughout the Middle East, including in Baghdad, where supporters of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Saturday tried to enter the diplomatic Green Zone. One protestor told Rudaw it was “an attack on the American Embassy…” “Secretary 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,” read the statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder. The PMF, including Iran-backed factions, enjoy great popular support among Iraq’s Shiite majority. Iraq's highest Shiite authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has paid tribute to Nasrallah and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has declared a three-day period of national mourning. Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for more than 30 years, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in a residential neighborhood of Beirut on Friday. Hezbollah confirmed his death on Saturday. “Secretary Austin made it clear that the United States supports Israel's right to defend itself and reinforced that the United States is committed to deterring Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from taking advantage of the situation or expanding the conflict,” the Pentagon statement added. The United States and Iraq announced on Friday they had reached an agreement to end the military mission of the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) by the end of 2025. The joint statement described the coalition’s role “transitioning into bilateral security partnerships … that supports Iraqi forces and maintains pressure on ISIS.” The US-led coalition will continue its anti-ISIS mission in northeast Syria until September 2026, senior defense and government officials told reporters on Friday. “The United States retains the capability to deploy forces on short notice. The Department of Defense [DoD] continues to maintain a significant amount of capability in the region and to dynamically adjust our force posture based on the evolving security situation,” the Pentagon statement said. Austin’s statement comes after US President Joe Biden, in a statement after the assassination of Nasrallah, directed him to “further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.” “He [Austin] and DoD 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,” the Pentagon statement said. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has intensified since October 7, when Hamas militants launched a large-scale incursion into southern Israel, killing more than 1,170 people, according to Israeli figures. Israel responded with a massive ongoing offensive on Gaza, killing over 40,000 people, according to the Palestinian health ministry. During last week’s United Nations General Assembly, there were many calls for de-escalation amid concerns of the conflict spilling over into the wider region. Iraqi PM Sudani was critical of the international community and the Security Council, saying in his UN speech they have failed to “achieve its primary goal of maintaining international peace and security” Sudani also warned against the start of large-scale war across the region. “The recent actions of the occupying power aim to threaten the stability of countries in the region by igniting a large-scale regional war,” Sudani said, calling on the UN to step up efforts to end Israel’s violence.
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